ST CATHERINE, Jamaica — Ground was officially broken on Thursday to mark the start of a more than $76 million renovation and expansion project for the Accident and Emergency Department of the Linstead Hospital in St Catherine.

The work on the A & E will result in the addition of a waiting area, parking area, nebulisation station, examination bays and triage area. The ambulance bay will also be realigned.

The project is part of a bigger project valued at $100 million to renovate and expand as well as equip and install a heating ventilation and air conditioning system for the A&E department.

The project is expected to be completed in approximately 12 months. Funding was provided by the National Health Fund. 

The administrative building of the hospital is also presently being refurbished at a cost of $21.6 million.

The Linstead hospital is a major referral centre for Spanish Town, Kingston Public, National Chest hospitals and the Bustamante Hospital for Children. The facility sees about 30,000 patients annually.