THE police convalescent home in Black River, St Elizabeth, which was completed last November at a cost of $26 million, is now ready to accept officers injured in the line of duty or suffering from depression as a result of the stress of the job.

The home, which will cost $2 million per month to maintain, will start accepting “residents” in the second week of May.

According to Milton Daley, manager of the convalescent home, a variety of medical services will be available to the police at the facility.

“There will be a full-time doctor and doctors on call. They will deal with stabs, gunshot wounds and burns. If officers have just come from a depressing crime scene and need to be de-stressed those services will also be available,” Daley said.

The home will also offer an out-patient clinic which will deal with hypertension, among other services.

The home will be able to house 14 officers in double- and single-occupancy rooms. There is also a swimming pool to help injured cops recover through therapy.

Chairman of the National Commercial Bank, Michael Lee Chin, whose company contributed $15 million towards the home, said the gift was just the tip of the iceberg.

“This is just the start. It is still not enough and is part of giving back to the officers of the Jamaica Constabulary Force who put their lives on the line,” Lee Chin told reporters during a tour of the home yesterday.

Police Federation chairman Hartley Stewart yesterday expressed the force’s appreciation to NCB.

“This has been a long time coming and we are grateful for the help,” Stewart said.