Ground break for new Old Harbour health centre, but illegal settlers still occupy land

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In what will be the Old Harbour Comprehensive Health Centre in the very near future, one step below hospital status, Wednesday’s groundbreaking and contract signing ceremony signal yet another important step of a plan hatched 18 years ago.

The new 2,000 square metre facility will be constructed by Centech Engineering Solutions   on lands below the Lions Club Civic Centre abutting Walker’s Road.

Sandwich between Spanish Town and May Pen hospitals, this new comprehensive health centre is design to facilitate 10,000 patients per month, a significant improvement on the 1,500 individuals it sees at present.

In approximately 45 days from now the first signs of works should start to appear, Orett Clarke, programme manager of the country’s health system strengthening programme (HSSP), tells Old Harbour News afterwards.

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Relocating settlers

Certainly much of this timeline will depend on how swift illegal settlers occupying said lands are relocated. Since talks began of a new health centre for Old Harbour, the issue of illegal settlers has been constantly mooted. The relocation exercise is being led by Member of Parliament Everald Warmington, who indicated to the health ministry in 2021 that a new area has been identified to resettle the affected individuals.

Three years on, during which groundbreaking dates were amended twice, the illegal settlers remain. This has the potential to set the illegal settlers and the contractor on a collision course ahead of the scheduled works.

The matter was not addressed by Warmington in his remarks, while Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton referred the media to the MP when the question was put to him.

“I don’t have all the information on this,” said Dr Tufton in his response during an interview with journalists. “I know we have been working with the Member of Parliament to ensure that the lands that are needed for the expansion are in fact available. As far as I know now, the lands that are available for the footprint of the building is available. I don’t know about any lands beyond that immediate footprint. What the contractor wants is the footprint, so if there are other people encroaching, I’m sure working with the local representatives, we’ll find a way to make it work.”
In a follow-up, HSSP representatives promised to provide Old Harbour News with an update at a later date.

Contract budget

Eyebrows were raised among those in the know when Clarke announced a contract value of JMD$930 million signed between Dr Tufton, on behalf of the Jamaican Government, and Cenitech Engineering Solutions CEO George Knight. This is approximately 90% increase on the initially announced JMD$489 million earmarked for the facility.

But in explaining the disparity, an official at the HSSP said the additional sum has to do with procuring equipment, furniture, logistics and other crucial variables associated with projects of this magnitude.

Construction of the new Old Harbour Comprehensive Health Centre forms part of a broader development plan by the government to develop the health sector in line with international standards. This new facility will able to meet the growing demand of the Old Harbour population up to the year 2041.

Under the HSSP, locals will receive care under the telemedicine protocol whereby services are rendered using technology such as remote patient care, e-prescription, and electronic health record keeping.

According to health officials, this will enable and empower the state to better respond to local and international health emergencies efficiently as they emerge.