The St Ann’s Bay Regional Hospital now has a fully refurbished pharmacy, equipped with a pharmaceutical refrigerator, valued at almost $1 million.

The facility, which was upgraded by the Sandals Foundation at a cost of $4 million, was officially handed over to the hospital last Thursday.

The money raised from the Sandals’ 2011 Panasonic Golf Tournament was used to re-roof the building, install new doors, windows, shelves, three air conditioning units, upgrade the electrical works, retrofit, and purchasing four new computers and a new refrigerator.

The St Ann’s Bay Hospital currently serves over 350,000 residents from St Ann, St Mary and Portland.

Chief executive officer at the hospital Keith Richards said the expanded facility with its new equipment is expected to alleviate the high strain placed on the hospital’s daily operation by the large number of persons seeking medical attention and utilising the pharmacy.

He added that the pharmacy has also provided “a platform for expansion” at the hospital.

Brian Roper, general manager at Sandals Grande Riviera, said the partnership between the St Ann’s Bay Regional Hospital and tourism is great as the facility serves millions of visitors who come to the Ocho Rios area yearly.

“If Jamaica truly believes that tourism is our future…if tourism is in fact the foreign exchange earner that’s going to keep Jamaica on a growth path, then all the service facilities need to step up their game,” Roper said.

He, however, added that the Foundation not only supports the hospital because of tourism but due to the large number of persons it provides health care for.

Heidi Clarke, director of Sandals Foundation, said the hospital was considered by the foundation for this development as health is a major priority of the hotel chain.

Clarke added that a number of the schools adopted by the foundation are also served by the hospital.

On Thursday the Sandals Foundation also treated the children at the Seville Preschool in St Ann’s Bay. The school was built a year ago by the foundation. The organisation has also donated a water tank, a weed wacker and has contributed funds towards the purchase of a stove for the early childhood institution.

The foundation has also been involved in a number of other charitable activities having treated the patients of the St Ann’s Bay Infirmary earlier in the week, and donating a washing machine to the facility.

Scores of children in St Ann and St Mary will also benefit from a number of treats being hosted by the foundation