KINGSTON, Jamaica — The South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA) says the four main operating theatres at Kingston Public Hospital (KPH) will reopen next week following mould treatment and renovation of the spaces.

“This process includes specialised mould treatment and ensuring the infrastructure meets safety standards for medical procedures,” said Barrington Graham, acting chief executive officer of KPH, in confirming that critical repairs have been undertaken to restore full functionality to the theatres in a timely manner.

Graham said the operations team at KPH, along with the Regional Technical Department, will continue to carry out regular air quality tests to ensure that all infection control standards are maintained within the newly renovated operating theatres.

The statement comes after People’s National Party (PNP) spokesperson on Health, Dr Alfred Dawes criticised the ministry of health for what he described as the resulting ‘logistical nightmare’ caused by the KPH closure.

READ: Health system is in a ‘serious crisis’, says Dr Dawes

SERHA says the extensive renovation work includes: wall repairs in the operating theatres, mould remediation treatment, the addition of a new sluice equipment in the sluice room, servicing of the air conditioning unit, and replacement of defective doors, at a cost of $24 million.

“The medical team at KPH has successfully performed close to 1,000 surgeries between October 2024 and January 2025, before the temporary closure. With these improvements, more surgeries are expected to be carried out in the operating theatres, enhancing the hospital’s capacity to deliver quality healthcare services to the public,” SERHA said.

SERHA also apologised for the inconvenience the temporary closure of the operating theatres at KPH had caused.