An Emergency Field Hospital has been installed in St. Elizabeth to provide critical medical support to residents in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa.

The Emergency Field Hospital, located on the grounds of the Black River High School, was set up by members of the Samaritan’s Purse Disaster Assistance Response Team, with the support of the Jamaica Defence Force and other partners.

Equipped with more than 30 inpatient beds, the field hospital, which will open to receive patients shortly, has the benefit of:

• One operating room for surgical procedures;
• An Emergency Room;
• An Obstetric ward for maternal and neonatal care; as well as
• A Laboratory, pharmacy, and blood bank.

A team of some 60 experienced medical and operational specialists with Samaritan’s Purse are present to run the hospital, which spans some 40,000 square feet. The Samaritan’s Purse team will man the facility and work alongside local doctors to deliver care.

“We are committed to maintaining access to essential health services for our people, even in the most challenging circumstances. This field hospital, in one of the hardest hit locations in the country, helps us to bridge the gap while we restore permanent facilities,” said Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, CD, MP, from the location on Tuesday (November 4, 2025).

“I also want to thank all the partners, chief among them Samaritan’s Purse, for their generousity and support in helping to get this field hospital ready,” Dr. Tufton added.

The Ministry continues to assess the damage across the health sector and will provide further updates as additional facilities come back online.