The Western Child and Adolescent, Cornwall Regional, and Spanish Town Hospitals are among the health facilities set for opening this fiscal year as the Ministry of Health and Wellness makes significant progress in modernising and expanding Jamaica’s public healthcare infrastructure.

Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, CD, MP made the announcement during his Sectoral Presentation in Parliament on Tuesday (May 12).

Noting that the completion of the projects “will significantly enhance the capacity of healthcare infrastructure and services”, Minister Tufton outlined the advances being made to strengthen the island’s public health facilities.

The redeveloped Cornwall Regional Hospital in St. James, will deliver one of the most advanced medical facilities in the region to feature 430 inpatient beds, 12 modern operating theatres; Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and High Dependency Units; advanced diagnostic and imaging services; expanded outpatient clinics and other patient and staff amenities.

Complementing CRH is the Western Child and Adolescent Hospital (WCAH), the first facility of its kind in the Caribbean. Designed to serve patients from birth to age 17 years, the facility will include 220 beds; four operating theatres; a 15-bed ICU and a 24-bed Special Care Nursery. The hospital will also have on offer to advanced diagnostic services, including MRI capabilities.

Expansion in St. Catherine

Major upgrades are also underway at Spanish Town Hospital, where a new six-storey wing is scheduled for completion by April 2027. This expansion will significantly increase capacity and service delivery, with an additional 100 beds; Accident & Emergency Department with ambulance bay and triage areas; Radiology services featuring MRI, CT scans, and X-ray; and expanded outpatient services.

The facility will also feature endoscopy and surgical suites with multiple operating theatres; ICU and high-dependency units; and new laboratories with capacities for immunology, haematology and serology.

This transformation will allow the hospital to expand specialty services in areas such as urology, oncology, cardiology, gastroenterology, ophthalmology, and psychiatry.

Other New and Upgraded Facilities

Other projects include a six-storey tower at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI), now underway; the redevelopment of Kingston Public Hospital (KPH), and the new Bernard Lodge Hospital set for construction in Portmore. The Bellevue Hospital redevelopment is currently in the procurement phase.

Through these initiatives, the Ministry continues to underscore its commitment to providing Jamaicans with modern and reliable health infrastructure according to the Vision for Health 2030.