Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton has expressed confidence that the new building at Greater Portmore Health Centre will be open to the public by the middle of this year.

Tufton provided the update during a tour of the construction work on Wednesday.

He welcomed the progress on the facility which the contractor says is now approximately 65 per cent complete.

The construction teams have completed site preparation, demolition, and foundation works, with the main structural elements now in place, including walls and columns. Roofing works are approximately 75 per cent complete, while internal works have advanced to rough casting and rendering, with ceiling installation nearing completion.

Engineering services such as electrical, plumbing, sanitation, and fire safety systems are currently underway and approximately 35 per cent complete.

The next phase will focus on tiling, painting, and the installation of windows and doors, as well as landscaping and retrofitting with tools and medical equipment.

When completed, the expanded health centre will offer a wide range of services, including laboratory services, X-ray, oral rehydration, isolation facilities, treatment and procedure rooms, an asthma bay, diabetic retinopathy screening, and physiotherapy services with dedicated examination and exercise rooms.

Support spaces will include administrative offices, staff lounges, training rooms, a conference room, and nurses’ stations to support both service delivery and workforce development.

Once done, the expansion will upgrade the existing facility from a Type 3 to a Type 5 comprehensive health centre, which indicates a significant increase in service capacity.

This will improve healthcare delivery to people in the Greater Portmore area and reduce pressure on nearby health facilities, such as Spanish Town Hospital.

The Greater Portmore Health Centre expansion is being done at a cost of approximately $660 million, with construction funded primarily through a European Union (EU) grant with additional funding from the Government for furniture, equipment, and sewage works.

The tour on Wednesday was attended by key stakeholders including Aniceto Rodriguez Ruiz, head of cooperation at the Delegation of the EU in Jamaica, whose organisation is the primary funder of the construction works through an EU investment grant.

The expansion project is being delivered under the Health Systems Strengthening Programme as part of a broader initiative to modernise Jamaica’s public health infrastructure.

Construction is being carried out by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation.