MANCHESTER, Jamaica — The Percy Junor Hospital in Manchester is celebrating 80 years of service to Jamaicans this month under the theme, “Honouring Service from the Past, Looking to the Future”.

Staffed with 366 employees, the hospital provides services including curative management, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatric, psychiatry, X-ray, laboratory, pharmacy and general medical and surgical services, with weekly surgical and medical outpatient clinics.

The Type C facility serves more than 300,000 people from across four primary parishes — Manchester, Clarendon, St Ann and Trelawny.

The hospital kickstarted its 80th anniversary celebration with a 5K Run/Walk on Sunday, June 15 and will continue on Friday, June 20 with a blood drive on the hospital grounds at 9:00 am.

The team will continue the celebrations with a church service on Sunday, June 22 at the Spalding Gospel Assembly Church in Manchester; an outreach initiative at the Mount Olivet Boys Home on Monday, June 23 and end with a customer appreciation and wellness day on Wednesday, June 25 at the hospital.

Percy Junor Hospital boasts several notable achievements, including provision of laparoscopic and robotic assisted surgeries to clients; Public Sector Best Hospital Award in Jamaica — 2005/2006; Cabinet Secretary’s trophy for the most creative/innovative public sector agency in 2006; National Award for Outstanding Customer Service in 2013, among others.

The construction of the hospital began with Percival Sigismund Junor, a justice of the peace, businessman, financier, planter and philanthropist who approached the government to finance the plans.

The proposal was accepted, and with the assistance of his sister, 23 acres of land was identified and purchased. The hospital’s construction began in 1943 and lasted until 1945. The original structure of the facility is made from cut stones.