ST JAMES, Jamaica (JIS) – Minister of Health Dr Christopher Tufton says that some $300 million has been spent on upgrading facilities at the St Ann’s Bay Regional Hospital.

The Minister made the disclosure during a tour of the facility on.

He stated that the upgrading was done through a mixture of public and private sector partnerships.

Dr Tufton noted that between December 2015 and April 2016, the Paediatric Nursery was expanded and equipped at a cost of $23 million.

The project, he said, included the procurement of medical equipment such as incubators, infant warmers, bassinets, suction machines and piped medical gas to each bed.

Tufton also pointed out the construction of the new female medical ward which was built at a cost of $136.7 million, as well as an improvement to the patients’ waiting area.

“The projects were funded by the National Health Fund and represented a substantial investment to the secondary health-care delivery system,” the minister said. 

The North-East Regional Health Authority, the minister added, has also invested $2 million to purchase 100 agronomic patient waiting chairs as part of improving the aesthetics and comfort of the out-patient area.

Tufton also informed that the outpatient bathrooms were also renovated at a cost of $1 million.

He noted the procurement of equipment for the high dependency unit to increase functionality, as well as a Fluoroscopic X-ray Machine, which is awaiting delivery.

The hospital is a Type B facility, and is the referral hospital for the three general hospitals and 70 health centres located in Portland, St Mary and St Ann.

“The St Ann’s Bay Hospital also serves Trelawny and parts of Manchester and Clarendon, providing healthcare services to a population of approximately 360, 000,” Dr Tufton said.