SAVANNA-LA-MAR, Westmoreland – Minister of Health, John Junor, has lauded the administrative staff and medical practitioners at the Savanna-la-mar hospital and other clinics in the area who, he said, have continued to work well, despite limited resources.

“I am pleasantly surprised that they have managed, despite the (financial) challenges, to be offering services at a very high level,” the minister said following a recent tour of the Savanna-la-mar Hospital and the Grange Hill and Savanna-la-mar clinics.

He noted, however, that the 20 per cent shortage of nurses at the hospital is better than most hospitals across the island, adding that the 91 per cent occupancy was evidence that the public was adequately utilising the facility.

But a point of concern from members of the public is the lack of adequate pharmaceutical facilities and the long distances that they have to travel to access the service.

In responding to that concern, Junor said that his ministry would be looking at a possible expansion of drug-serve windows to alleviate the problem.