KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Ministry of Health and Wellness is reporting that the first batch of nurses from across the United States who are to participate in the Code Care project are now on the island.

In a statement on Saturday, the Ministry revealed that the nurses arrived on Wednesday and Thursday.

The six nurses have been assigned to the Noel Holmes Hospital in Hanover and are set to complete 15-20 surgeries over the next seven days. Surgeries for hernias and transurethral resection of prostate are among the procedures set to be completed with the support of the nurses.

“We are pleased to welcome our first set of health professionals under the programme, as we work to achieve the short and long-term objectives. CODECARE has a long-term objective: MOUs with overseas health systems to build capacity for training more specialist nurses through clinical faculty sharing and exchanges; as well as clinical rotation in Jamaica and outside, including in US hospitals,” Minister of Health & Wellness, Dr Christopher Tufton noted in the statement.

So far, over 100 surgeries have been completed under Project CODE CARE, which is geared at reducing the backlog of elective surgeries by 2,000 over a 12-month period and reducing the wait time for these surgeries to less than 180 days.

This is to be achieved through public-private partnerships; procurement of surgical equipment; nursing missions; project management and rehabilitation of operating theatres at some public hospitals.

At present, a total of eight private and public health facilities have partnered with the Ministry to achieve the deliverables under Project Code Care to the people of Jamaica. They are Andrews Memorial Hospital, The Heart Institute of the Caribbean, Medical Associates Hospital, The University Hospital of the West Indies, and Winchester Surgical and Medical Institute.

They join GWest Medical & Surgery Centre, Hospiten, and the Montego Bay Hospital & Urology Centre.