KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaica’s push to reduce maternal and newborn deaths over the next five years received a boost yesterday with the opening of the island’s second maternal high-dependency unit (HDU).

The HDU, as well as a refurbished space for neonatal care, was opened at the Victoria Jubilee Hospital (VJH) in downtown Kingston.

This is part of the European Union-funded Programme for the Reduction of Maternal and Child Mortality (PROMAC), implemented by the Ministry of Health and Wellness in line with a Jamaica-EU agreement.

Under the programme, four hospitals are to be equipped with the resources and skills needed to care for the sickest and most vulnerable pregnant women and newborns from across the country.

During the official opening of the latest HDU yesterday, attended by Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Christopher Tufton and Head of the EU Delegation to Jamaica, Malgorzata Wasilewska, it was noted that a similar facility was recently opened at the St Ann’s Bay Hospital, with units scheduled to be opened at the Bustamante Hospital for Children and the Spanish Town Hospital in the coming weeks.

“The new six- bed maternal HDU, an operating theatre and isolation suite will increase the hospital’s capacity to care for critically ill patients who are usually transferred from other hospitals across the island to VJH,” said Dr Garth McDonald, senior medical officer at the VJH.

He noted that the expansion of the neonatal facilities to accommodate four high dependency beds, creation of isolation suites that facilitate the ventilation of up to 16 premature babies who need respiratory support at one time, as well as the refurbishment of space for a 24-bed general nursery facility, will result in even more lives being saved.

Dr McDonald expressed hope that with the outputs from PROMAC, including four high dependency units across the country, equipment supplied and training provided to medical personnel including obstetricians, “Jamaica will see a reduction in its maternal, neonatal and perinatal mortality rates comparable to developed countries within the next five years”.

Latest available data indicate that Jamaica’s maternal mortality rate now stands at 89 per 100,000 live births. The goal is to reduce this to 27.5 per 100,000 by 2030 in keeping with the internationally agreed Sustainable Development Goals. The infant mortality rate is 16.6 per 100,000 live births, as at 2018.

Ambassador Wasilewska said the COVID-19 experience has highlighted the importance of countries having strong public health systems and responses to protect and preserve life not only in emergencies but at all times.

“Ensuring access to health for all- from the poorest to the richest; from the new-born baby to the elderly is essential for enjoyment of the right to life.

“This high dependency unit is a visible demonstration of our commitment to supporting partner countries to strengthen their health systems, ensure that no one is left behind and no human right is ignored. It is our hope that this facility and the service provided here will inspire increased confidence and promote and preserve the dignity of all who enter its doors,” said Ambassador Wasilewska.

The seven-year-old PROMAC initiative, which is funded to the tune of 22-million Euros, will come to an end in November 2020.