Black River, St Elizabeth

Hurricane Ivan, which brushed Jamaica’s south coast two years ago, is most remembered for the havoc and destruction left in its wake.

But those close to the Black River Hospital are crediting the storm for their newly refurbished and upgraded operating theatre.

“Yu see mi theatre? Is Ivan gi mi,” quipped nurse anaesthetist, Maureen Cole, triggering prolonged laughter as she gave the vote of thanks at a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony at the hospital yesterday.

The theatre, described by the hospital’s medical officer, Dr John McRae, as a “mess” following the passage of Ivan, was refurbished and expanded with the help of $17.62 million in grants from the National Health Fund’s (NHF’s) Institutional Benefits programme.

The upgrade of the facilities described as cramped and leaky even prior to the hurricane has now allowed the addition of a two-bedded recovery room, a changing room for patients, surgeons and nurses offices, a staff change room and bathroom, a reception area, a storage area and a staff lounge.

A pleased Health Minister Horace Dalley who delivered the main address and participated in the ribbon-cutting exercise pledged that the National Health Fund, which he described as one of the best government initiatives of the “last 20 years”, would be used to provide health care for all Jamaicans, especially the poor.

Dalley noted that after “eight months in the job” as health minister he had developed his own “vision” for the sector which included development and maintenance of infrastructure, proper equipage of hospitals and other health facilities and the training of care-givers.

And head of the NHF’s Institutional Benefits programme, Baldwin Tucker, praised the Black River Hospital for its record of performance in terms of utilising NHF grants.

“Black River has the highest completion rate as far as projects are concerned,” Tucker told his audience. “This hospital . has capitalised on over $45 million worth of grant funding and . have completed five of six projects associated with this hospital,” he said.

“The sixth should be completed by early January and there is more to come,” said Tucker to loud applause.

He said Black River was likely to benefit from a laboratory services project now being evaluated by the NHF and was also likely to be included on the list of recipients for 40 ambulances which “are on the way”.

The NHF which is funded by an excise from the tobacco industry, as well as the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) and a special consumption tax, currently earns $2 billion annually and maintains $2 billion in reserve.

While NHF has played a strong role in infrastructural development it was formed primarily to ensure affordable medication to those with chronic diseases – a point emphasized by Dalley yesterday.

The bauxite alumina company Alpart, represented yesterday by Public Relations Manager Lance Neita, was specially recognised at yesterday’s function for a $500,000 donation to the hospital for hurricane relief efforts shortly after the passage of Ivan.