KINGSTON, Jamaica — Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness on Friday officially opened the new parent overnight suite at the Bustamante Hospital for Children in Kingston.

The 36-bed facility, constructed at a cost of over $140 million, will accommodate parents and guardians of patients, enabling them to remain close and actively assist in their children’s care.

The project was executed through a partnership involving the National Housing Trust (NHT), the National Health Fund (NHF) and the South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA).

While the suite was designed primarily to accommodate parents and guardians residing overseas or outside of Kingston, it will also serve those who are not staying overnight by providing access to restrooms, a kitchenette, a lounge, and designated areas for breastfeeding.

In addition, the building includes office space for the suite’s manager and a conference room to facilitate parent consultations.

Speaking during the opening ceremony, Holness emphasised that parents remaining close to their children during treatment is recognised as a critical aspect of paediatric care.

“Parents are not visitors in their child’s recovery; they are partners in it. They are the familiar voice in an unfamiliar place, the reassuring touch in moments of fear, the steady presence that helps a child feel safe. Sometimes they are the medicine that no doctor can prescribe,” he said.

Holness noted that although the hospital has long provided a parent overnight suite, the facility has fallen into disrepair and no longer offers a truly restful environment.

Additionally, with the hospital’s growth in scale and medical capabilities, the demand for modernised facilities to support overnight stays has increased, leading to the undertaking of this project.

In celebrating the project’s completion, Holness hailed the new facility as “a testament to compassion”.

“It’s not just concrete. The heart of this building is care. A hospital treats the body, but a home strengthens the spirit. By creating a space that feels like home, we strengthen both. When parents are rested, they are better able to care for their child. When parents are nearby, the child feels safer. When families are supported, healing is accelerated,” the prime minister stated.

Meanwhile, Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Christopher Tufton, described the facility as “long in coming and long demanded”, noting that it represents a positive addition to the Bustamante Hospital, the premier children’s hospital in Jamaica and the wider Caribbean.

He pointed out that, with the hospital having been established more than 60 years ago and its care capacity continuing to expand, modernisation has become essential.

“It is the highest concentration of specialist clinicians that are treating children from zero…up to 12 years old, and therefore it is absolutely critical to keep it modernised. This is what the Government has set out to do. [So] today is one such day that we celebrate another very important milestone achievement,” Dr Tufton underscored.

The maintenance and management of the parent overnight suite will be overseen by SERHA.

— JIS