The Outpatient Department at the Kingston Public Hospital’s (KPH) south wing which is oftentimes “dark with patients” along with several other areas of the facility has received a much needed facelift.

The institution which has been on the receiving end of much flack for being unkempt and rundown was spruced up with fresh coats of paint, renovated chairs and new life given to its waiting room green area among other things.

Tanny Shirley Chairman of the South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA) who joined volunteers from RBC Royal Bank and Jamaica National in the Labour Day effort said the plan was to also retrofit the hospital in stages.

“We have to thank the RBC Royal Bank for this tremendous staff management initiative to address the outpatient area and to bring their team here to really retrofit the hospital; they are doing a fantastic job transforming the place. I can’t say how appreciative we are,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

In the meantime he said the regional authority in collaboration with the Ministry of Health has ,over the last couple months, worked on “transforming the KPH”.

“We have been retrofitting it, buying new equipment, setting up a chemotherapy department, painting where we can paint, repairing the roof and so on, so KPH is really on the radar to transform into a hospital of excellence,” Shirley said.

He, however, noted that the transformation would not be overnight.

“It’s gonna take time because it’s the largest referral hospital and the largest hospital in Jamaica so to do work is very difficult because you are dealing with patients at the same time; so it’s not easy to paint when you want to or do repairs when you want to,” he said.

Senior Medical Officer for the KPH Dr Patrick Bhoorasingh said the work done on the Outpatient Department would create a world of difference to the thousands having to use the area.

“This side is predominantly orthopaedics and urology. At times we have other clinics here like for example anaesthesia clinic on a Friday, we have three orthopaedic clinics per week and four urology clinics per week. Urology deals with a lot of prostate and kidney problems and you know prostate patients virtually have to be followed up for life,” he explained.

“The thing with orthopaedics is that a lot of them with broken limbs need assistance so most times they have to be accompanied by relatives so this area is really jam-packed when we have clinic. The area is hard-used so it does get dirty very fast so this renovation to fix the walls and make it clean is really great. If you come down the end of the corridor during the week the area is dark with patients,” Dr Bhoorasingh pointed out.

Total clinic attendance, he said, is about 2,000 patients.

Roger Cogle, Marketing Head of Personal Banking at RBC, which had some 60 volunteers on spot, said more was in the offering for the Bank and the Hospital but would not elaborate.

“RBC operates in Jamaica and as of such we want to contribute in communities where we live and work and therefore we saw KPH as a great opportunity to showcase our volunteerism,” he said.

“We also are working with KPH on some other major projects which we won’t disclose at this time,” Cogle said.

An upbeat Dorene Johnson Business Relationship and Sales Manager Jamaica National Duke Street led the charge to renovate the reception area of the Outpatients Department.

“Our work here is to ensure that we have an area conducive to the sick because we believe that all of your health has to do with your environment. So we are here to do landscaping, painting and also repair the seats in the waiting area so the sick can feel comfortable when they come,” she told the Observer.

At the Victoria Jubilee Hospital which is the sister facility of the KPH Captain Christina Francis led some 30 cadets from the Ardenne and Queens High Schools in clean up activities.