Western Bureau: Matron Icy Allen, who has responsibility for the Falmouth Infirmary in Trelawny, has called on the Trelawny Parish Council to assist with funding for the planned expansion of the facility to accommodate an increased number of inmates.

“It is getting overcrowded. But with the help of the Lord and the parish council I would like to extend our caring for other patients. There are patients out there with relatives who haven’t got the time or the facilities, probably. So if we get an extra ward, we can welcome those people…,”Allen said.

The matron was speaking with the Observer following a tour of the facility by Mining and Energy Minister, Anthony Hylton on Thursday.

The infirmary was recently retrofitted to bring down their energy consumption level.

Allen said they also needed another four bathrooms for the male residents and another three for the females.

“There are two bathrooms and four shower rooms. It is not adequate so we are hoping to extend,” Allen said. “The patients are bathed twice daily. The very handicapped ones three, four, five times per day and some time we have a queue because as the need arises so we have to use the bathrooms.”

But the needs of the infirmary extend beyond the infrastructure. The facility, which is home to some 100 residents, needs additional staff members.

Allen said the facility needed:

_ six ward assistants;

_ an additional cook;

_ an additional cleaner;

_ an additional matron; and

_ an extra grounds man.

There are presently 14 ward assistants, two cooks, two cleaners, two laundresses and a part-time laundress who relieves the others.