KINGSTON, Jamaica — Minister of Health, Dr Christopher Tufton, says that part of the challenge delaying a decision on the Cornwall Regional Hospital (CRH), was the need to assess the required improvements.

“It was not just about the vent system, we were thinking that we should use the opportunity to address a range of issues, including the plumbing, the electrical and the X-ray department ,which needs to be replaced and digitalised. So, totally, you are looking at hundreds of millions of dollars,” he told the Standing Finance Committee (SFC) of the House of Representatives, Thursday night.

He said that his ministry has also been in discussions with the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service, which agreed to make $300-$400 million available within the next few weeks, to start work on the hospital.

“We have already engaged a project manager and preparations have started for a terms of reference for a contractor to do the engineering designs and assessments,” he said.

He stated that, in addition, his ministry has started discussions with the National Health Fund (NHF), and will be making “sympathetic” case to the cabinet for a capital upgrading of the CRH, and a range of other facilities which have not received attention over an extensive period of time.

He said that the ministry was looking at how much of some $10 billion the NHF has in its reserves could be utilized in addressing these problems.

Balford Henry