KINGSTON, Jamaica — Minister of Health, Dr Christopher Tufton says that a contract has been signed with the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) with a view to upgrading the Spanish Town Hospital in St Catherine from a Type B hospital to a Type A.

Hospitals designated as Type B provide primary and secondary care services, including inpatient and outpatient services in general surgery, general medicine, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, and anaesthetics. X-ray and laboratory services are usually available.

Type A hospitals, on the other hand, are facilities that provide comprehensive secondary and tertiary healthcare services and are the final referral points for public and private hospitals. The minister was speaking at the launch of the Health Ministry’s second quarterly publication dubbed ‘Vitals’, at his New Kingston offices today.

‘Vitals’, first presented during Dr Tufton’s 2017/18 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives in May, is being produced in the interest of transparent and accountable governance.

It provides important data to the public on the performance of the health sector and acts as a tool of performance accountability for the individuals and processes responsible for the delivery of public health in Jamaica.