The Authorities has recognized land within the Bernard Lodge space to construct a brand new hospital for Portmore, and the feasibility examine is now being completed to find out the format and the construction of the medical facility.
Making the disclosure, Minister of Well being and Wellness, Dr the Honourable Christopher Tufton, mentioned the Administration has a imaginative and prescient for the realm, together with a “strategic plan”, which is being labored on in earnest, for the communities which might be rising in inhabitants.
Addressing the month-to-month assembly of the St Catherine Chamber of Commerce, on February 26 in Spanish City, the Minister mentioned the Authorities recognises the enlargement of the inhabitants within the areas, and “we’re going past that, as a result of we really feel as a Authorities that we have to break up the parish”.
Dr Tufton additionally mentioned the enlargement of healthcare amenities for the parish of St Catherine is to fulfill the present inhabitants progress, and for future improve, based mostly on the development of homes.
“From a inhabitants standpoint, from the event of housing, for instance, whether or not homes which were constructed or homes which might be being constructed or homes which might be to be constructed, we’re speaking about hundreds and hundreds [of people],” the Minister mentioned.
“Bernard Lodge alone represents shut to fifteen,000 new homes. When you add three to 4 residents of every home, it means multiples of that when it comes to new inhabitants. Ranging from 2016 to as we speak, loads has been completed, and much more is being completed, and shall be completed, to deal with the progress that’s being constituted of a public well being perspective,” the Minister added
Noting that over the previous 9 years extra folks have been coming into St Catherine and utilizing the Spanish City Hospital, which is beneath a $5.5 billion enlargement, the Minister mentioned the variety of individuals in search of care on the establishment moved from 39,000 to roughly 45,000 in 2024.
“And if you happen to issue what’s coming, it means extra persons are going to go there subsequent yr and the yr after and the yr after. We’ve to organize, and we now have made some progress, although there’s extra that must be completed. Within the space of employees, in 2016, we had 223 nurses, ranging in numerous classes,” the Minister mentioned.
On the finish of 2024, Dr. Tufton mentioned, the hospital had 489 nurses, and coming from 83 medical doctors, it now has 194, stating that this can be a “vital improve”.
The Minister mentioned that the inhabitants is increasing, and the demand is increasing “however we now have a plan to attempt to deal with what we now have seen because the forecasting of what’s to return, based mostly on the expansions which might be going down”.
– JIS
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