KINGSTON, Jamaica — Minister of Health Dr Christopher Tufton, the Nurses Association of Jamaican, (NAJ), Medical Association of Jamaica (MAJ), and the Jamaica Medical Doctors’ Association (JMDA), met this morning to discuss on-going efforts to find solutions to the challenges being faced at the Cornwall Regional Hospital.

The ministry in a release today said the teams agreed to work together to preserve critical areas of services at CRH while minimising the adverse impact on staff and patients at the facility.

The team discussed plans related to the continued relocation of services and patients to identified locations.

The four groups agreed to work together to implement the following:

– The isolation and cleaning of the Operating Theatres and adjoining ward facilities to accommodate dire surgical emergencies.

– The relocation of other critical patients to alternative accommodations on the compound within three weeks

– Continued rerouting of various services to other hospitals including Savanna-La-Mar and Falmouth as well as other medical facilities. Activities are underway to strengthen these areas to accommodate the increased patient load.

– Containment measures have begun to isolate the more severely affected areas of the hospital’s main building and alternate access points have been established.

In recognizing the importance of communication during this period, the ministry said it has committed to daily briefings with all stakeholders to ensure that they are aware of any developments.

The groups, according to the ministry, also reiterated their commitment to working together to reducing the impact of the current situation on the well being of staff and patients. Revised working arrangements for staff are under discussion, the ministry said.