KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation’s (KSAMC) Labour Day project at the Bustamante Hospital for Children has gotten a cool boost with the installation of three new air conditioned units at the Isolation Ward.

The KSAMC in a release today said the installation of the units will better allow the hospital to control the airflow within the ward, which before depended on opening windows for ventilation.

“We (KSAMC) want the ward to be well equipped and modern so we decided to ensure we put in all the necessary facilities and that includes the air conditioning units,” Kingston Mayor Delroy Williams said in the release.

The renovation, which was undertaken by the council as a Labour Day project, involved the KSAMC removing the previous wooden isolation room; which was infested with termites; and replacing it with steel frames and concrete walls.

“I am pleased with the progress so far and thank the staff of  the KSAMC for their dedication to the project. It has come a long way and we have a lot more to do. With mosquito borne diseases being a major cause of illnesses that would require isolation and the propensity of mosquitoes to spread sicknesses, it is important that the room is a controlled environment and the air conditioned units facilitate this level of control;” the mayor explained.

CEO of the KSAMC, Robert Hill explained that the project will extend beyond Labour Day as the KSAMC intends to enter a long term partnership with the Hospital for continued upgrading and renovation of the isolation ward.

“The infrastructure of the ward has severely improved but we want to continue making gradual improvements until the ward is in exemplary condition;” Hill added.

The KSAMC said it also did extensive electical upgrades on the ward, installing LED recess lighting along with other upgrades such as plumbing and the installation of new windows and doors.