Old Harbour Health Centre set for $489m upgrade

He made the disclosure while speaking at the handover of an ultrasound machine at the Spanish Town Hospital on Wednesday.

Renovation of the Old Harbour health facility forms part of a $4 billion commitment by the government to upgrade health facilities in St. Catherine, with $3 billion earmarked for expansion of the Spanish Town Hospital.

The developments will be undertaken over the next three to four years, Dr Tufton stated.

More details on the scope of work to be undertaken at the health centres will be made public at a later date. When complete, it is anticipated that the capacity of each facility will increase.

He said that the investment is the largest in the parish in decades and will “fill existing gaps”.

Other health centres across the parish will also be upgraded in keeping with the focus on primary healthcare.

The Greater Portmore Health Centre will be expanded at a cost of $344 million; and the St. Jago Health Centre with a budgetary allocation of $317 million.

At Spanish Town Hospital, the expenditure will go towards the provision of additional beds and operating theatres, the expansion of waiting areas, and increasing medical and other personnel.

“We are going to be embarking on a programme to right-size the facility in order to better cater to the population,” the minister said.