MONTEGO BAY, St James — President of the West Jamaica Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Pastor Glen Samuels has refuted a media report that it will cost the Ministry of Health $2 million a month to facilitate services relocated from the neighbouring Cornwall Regional Hospital.

Noxious fumes at the 400-bed facility forced the closure of the hospital’s first three floors and the relocation of several clinics and departments, including accident and emergency.

“There is absolutely no truth to the statement that we are charging $2 million a month. To this date, April 2, 2017, there has been no settled figure,” declared the man of the cloth.

“It is our joy to make our places available; we are a community-focused church and the hospital is our next- door neighbour. We have a lot of members who are patients, we have wokers there who are members. It’s our joy to be of help,” he said.

Minister of Health Dr Christopher Tufton concurred with the clergyman.

“To this point there has been no discussion or decision around cost. So whatever was carried in the media about $2 million and so on, none of that has been agreed to. I just want to make that clear, “ Dr Tufton noted.

He further noted: “Our position is very simple; we understand and appreciate the hands of kindness that have been demonstrated by Pastor Samuels and his team. At the same time, we do not want to exploit the hands of kindness because we understand too that they have related costs: utility bills have to be paid, there are other costs associated with using the facility, and so I have no difficulty, as minister of health, recognising that reality and indeed I have said to Pastor Samuels, ‘We should discuss and determine what those costs are, and we will make appropriate compensation for those costs because, clearly, the church has its mission and operations and we are not here to compromise or to hinder those operations.’”

Pastor Samuels noted that the Ministry of Health is expected to underwrite the costs associated with the relocated operations of some 11 outpatient clinics and the nearly 500 patients they see daily. He, however, stressed that, while the church is yet to calculate the actual cost, it is nowhere near $2 million monthly.

Meanwhile, Dr Tufton expressed his gratitude to the Adventist church for facilitating the operations of the St James hospital.

“I want to use the opportunity to thank the Seventh-day Adventists, and in particular this western region conference centre, for hosting the operations of the Cornwall Regional Hospital during this critical time when the hospital is down,” Dr Tufton said.

“Pastor Samuels and his team have been nothing short of rescuers in a time of crisis. They listened to the concerns and the appeal and they did not hesitate to play an important role, and I think Jamaica, St James and its environs, the Ministry of Health, and the Government are eternally grateful for this manifestation of kindness.”

Both men were speaking to members of the media following the opening ceremony of the West Jamaica Conference’s Adventist Professionals, Business Leaders and Community Expo yesterday.