Black Immigrant Daily News
This week’s featured development as Newsmaker of the Week just ended is the pending multi-billion dollar redevelopment of the Spanish Town Hospital in St Catherine, which is being hailed as one of the largest infrastructural developments in public health in the nation’s history.
The planned modernisation of the hospital into a comprehensive Type-A health facility is being hailed by several stakeholders and social media users.
Many of them are hoping that the development will signal a shift in urban renewal for the old capital of Spanish Town, putting its crime-plagued past behind for a new dawn of vibrancy.
Additionally, a call is being made for interests to also focus on developing other aspects of infrastructure in the wider town and parish, to boost the economic potential there.
The announced development plans for the hospital were highlighted by Health and Wellness Minister, Dr Christopher Tufton, on Wednesday during his address at St Catherine’s Open House and Exhibition at the Church of the Open Bible in Twickenham Park, Spanish Town, St Catherine.
According to Tufton, the journey in overhauling the Spanish Town Hospital which was built 70 years ago, has been years in the making.
The minister said with the tender process now completed, construction works at the Spanish Town Hospital are expected to begin in the first quarter of next year, with completion projected for the 2026-2027 financial year.
The construction period is anticipated at 24 months, with an additional 12 months for “the defects liability period”, according to Tufton.
He said the hospital will receive the largest infrastructure works of the Health Systems Strengthening Programme being implemented with the support of the Inter-America Development Bank (IDB) and the European Union (EU).
“The work will see the construction of a six-storey modern facility with an estimated area of 17,633.68 square metres, including several points of access for staff and patients, and a skywalk to link existing wards,” Tufton outlined.
Additionally, upgrades will incorporate areas for accident and emergency, a radiology department, outpatient services, pharmacy, endoscopy unit, surgical suite, an intensive care unit, laboratory, medical records, staff lounge and underground staff parking, among other things.
From left – CEO, Spanish Town Hospital, Jacqueline Ellis; Country Representative, Inter-American Development Bank, Lorenzo Escondeur; EU Ambassador to Jamaica, Marianne Van Steen; Garfield Wood, Architect; and Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Christopher Tufton, at the launch of the pending multi-billion dollar redevelopment of the Spanish Town Hospital in St Catherine.(Photo: Marlon Reid)
“Not only is the investment in the redevelopment of the hospital the largest of the more than US$50 million-dollar Health Systems Strengthening Programme, it is also one of the largest investments that will be made in health facilities in Jamaica’s history,” said Tufton.
“… It is significant. It demonstrates just how serious we are about ensuring that our population receives the standard of care that they deserve,” Tufton indicated.
He noted, also, that the overhaul of the current building at Spanish Town Hospital is timely, as the demand on the medical facility is significant.
Figures cited by the minister suggested that more than 32,000 patients were seen at the hospital’s accident and emergency unit in 2021.
“Those seen in outpatient clinic numbered more than 40,000, even as 17,000 patients were admitted to the facility, and some 1,947 surgeries (were) performed.
“These numbers tell of the kind of demand currently faced by our facility, and which we are determined to continue to meet and to exceed,” Tufton stated.
In reacting to the news of the development plans for Spanish Town Hospital, President of the St Catherine Chamber of Commerce, Dennis Robotham, said it is likely to spur a shift in urban renewal for the town.
Police personnel at the scene of a murder in the Spanish Town market district recently. The old capital has, unfortunately, been experiencing far too many negatives, especially violent crimes and the consequences, over recent years dating back to well over a decade.
He told reporters following the function at which Tufton made the announcement, that St Catherine, specifically Spanish Town, has always been on the “backburner” in terms of infrastructural development, including roads and buildings.
According to Robotham, the project is indicative of the interest now being placed on St Catherine.
“It therefore means that not only the medical services have now got to be on their A-game, the infrastructure, roads and all the other amenities need to be in tandem with the development that is taking place here,” he argued.
He said the project will also create employment opportunities and could trigger a boost in the economy of Spanish Town.
The Government and other stakeholders, said Robotham, should now examine other aspects of the old capital and the wider St Catherine, for development.
“We have the heritage sites… It means the time has come and maybe this is a platform in which St Catherine and Spanish Town are about to take off.
“So we’re looking in that direction to see the productivity and moving to another level,” Robotham indicated.
Social media users have also been weighing into the redevelopment plans for Spanish Town Hospital, and what it will mean for the old capital going forward.
On Instagram, kuhrent1 wrote: “Well overdue. This surely will redeem you Tufton. Hope it don’t go like the one in MoBay though. We welcome this.”
Another social media user, nubian_queen.dixon, shared: “Also train the nurses, doctors and staff customer behaviours”.
On Facebook, Andyandrew Keize wrote: “Nice. Bring it. Well deserved”.
Jermaine Reid shared: “This is good news. This Government always looking out the box, and it is full time we have a modern hospital and Spanish Town can finally get some development.
“The crime is the only thing now that needs to be addressed there, but I’m confident in the police and the Government,” he further commented.
Kerry Ann Smith wrote: “More employment for young people, for this project means unemployment will go down and economic growth. I welcome this redevelopment of Spanish Town (Hospital) with open arms. Long overdue.”
Another social media user, Sean Hall, shared: “Fix up Spanish Town now and get it looking modern. Too rundown.”
Meanwhile, the redevelopment of the hospital will also involve improvements to the information communication and technology (ICT) infrastructure, for enhanced access to medical services, providing, among other things, electronic access to patients’ medical records.
“Recently, the Spanish Town Hospital was provided with secured WiFi access, which is available to staff and visitors to the hospital, as well as with the necessary equipment to breathe life into the electronic health records,” said Tufton on Wednesday.
He explained that those specific initiatives form part of a larger ICT infrastructure buildout to the tune of US$8.4 million, at the Spanish Town facility and 104 others.
“The work has included the installation of workstations and the training of clinical and medical records staff in the use and security of the computers. So far, 13 of the 105 facilities have benefitted,” Tufton shared.
The minister also disclosed that several health centres are to benefit from physical upgrades, the purchasing of new equipment to support the delivery of care, and the design and implementation of an information systems for health (IS4H) under the Health Systems Strengthening Programme.
The health centres to be impacted are: Greater Portmore, Old Harbour and St Jago Park, all in St Catherine; St Ann’s Bay, Brown’s Town and Ocho Rios in St Ann; and May Pen East, May Pen West, Mocho and Chapelton, all in Clarendon.
The St Ann’s Bay and May Pen Hospitals are also to benefit from significant physical upgrades under the Health Systems Strengthening Programme, Tufton stated.
NewsAmericasNow.com
