A $1 billion dollar allocation is set to address service disruptions in healthcare facilities through the creation of the Health Infrastructure Maintenance Fund (HIMF).

This comes as the Ministry prioritises preventive maintenance of healthcare infrastructure and equipment to improve the reliability, safety, and longevity of public health assets.

Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday (May 12), Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, CD, MP emphasised that the Fund represents a shift toward sustainable management of health infrastructure to ensure that hospitals and health centres remain fully operational and capable of delivering quality care.

“This Fund will be financed through a percentage of the health budget dedicated to a process of routine and unexpected maintenance through a series of specific initiatives involving establishing baseline inventory logging, establishing routine maintenance schedules and outsourcing the monitoring and maintenance of our health infrastructure, with a focus on mechanical, electrical and plumbing and air conditioning or HVAC and elevator services,” the Minister said.

The initiative will also strengthen oversight of contractual obligations, ensuring that service providers meet required standards and deliver value for money.

“The intention is to develop operational manuals and a Terms of Reference and performance criteria with critical success factors and outsource the routine maintenance of these specific functions for our health facilities, Dr. Tufton added.

Preparatory work for the HIMF is already underway within the Ministry’s Health Infrastructure Planning and Project Management Division.

In support of this effort, Mr. St. Andrade Sinclair, former Regional Director of the Western Regional Health Authority (WRHA), has been reassigned to lead the development and implementation of this new function.