The just-opened medical oxygen plant at St Ann’s Bay Regional Hospital is cause for high recognition as it represents the type of forward-thinking that we have been advocating in this space for years.

The plant, which is owned and operated by the Jamaican Government, is the fulfilment of a promise made by Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton two years ago when, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the country grappled with a shortage of medical oxygen.

We well recall the anxiety and near panic that resulted from that experience, as COVID-19 patients were in dire need of oxygen and the Government had to scramble to get supplies in, as the sole local supplier had experienced some difficulties.

Last Thursday, Dr Tufton was rightly proud as he spoke at the commissioning ceremony, noting that the plant’s impact will be far-reaching.

“This is a historic moment, because it represents a part of the transformation that we have embarked on and are following through with,” Dr Tufton told guests, among them the Canadian High Commission’s Head of Cooperation Mr Shehryar Sawar and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) representative Ms Olga Isza.

Both were attending the ceremony because the plant received funding from the Canadian Government and UNICEF, two great friends of Jamaica who have consistently assisted us in a number of areas and whose collaboration and generosity are greatly appreciated.

Dr Tufton told us that the plant will ensure provision of up to 530 litres of medical oxygen per minute at peak flow. Additionally, it provides capacity to fill up to 137 20-litre cylinders in 24 hours. That, he said, means that the plant can produce medical oxygen for St Ann and the entire north-east region. As such, it will make more oxygen available to be piped at beds.

While we accept that there are areas in the public health system that are still experiencing problems, we cannot deny the fact that certainly this plant is a feather in Jamaica’s cap and adds to the growing list of achievements in the sector in recent times.

The Administration’s move to significantly upgrade public hospitals is already known, and we expect that these works will be properly executed, completed, and not run over budget.

Outside of infrastructure upgrades, we recall that just a few months ago we had reason to commend our health authorities and professionals on the work they did to successfully eliminate the mother-to-child transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and syphilis.

At the time, we pointed out that, globally, only 19 countries and territories have been certified for eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV and/or syphilis, with 11 of them located in the Americas. That statistic only shows how profound it was of Jamaica to have met that milestone.

Success in that area has pushed Jamaica closer to achieving its global health goals. Fewer new infections, we reiterate, means a reduced burden on the health system, freeing up resources that can be redirected to other critical areas of public health.

Having our own medical oxygen plant will definitely add to Jamaica’s push to be a leader in public health and strengthen our reputation on the global stage.

Kudos to all who played a role in establishing this facility.