BLACK RIVER, St Elizabeth – A senior health official here is optimistic that ongoing restoration works at the Hurricane Melissa-ravaged Black River Hospital will be far advanced in another eight weeks.

Director at the Southern Regional Health Authority (SRHA) Michael Bent told the Jamaica Observer that the once-150-bed facility will see major changes, including the enclosing of corridors to provide bed spaces.

“We continue to do the repairs… For the wards the intention is to have those ready and back into operation by the end of May, but the operating theatre — which is a critical component of the service for Black River — that should be back up in another week or so, certainly by the middle of April,” Bent said during an interview with the Observer last Thursday.

At present Black River Hospital is operating with only 50 beds.

“For the field hospital we have 35 [beds] plus we have another 15 [beds] in the Emergency Department where we converted it to a ward. We are coming down from 150 [beds], so we are at a third of our capacity right now,” said Bent.

When asked about expected capacity following restoration works, he estimated that the hospital will have a capacity of just over 130 beds.

“We might lose a [few] beds, because we should be about 135… One of the things that we also capitalise on is while restoring the ward some areas, like corridors where we had no beds, we are enclosing that so we can take on some additional beds there,” added Bent.

In responding to a question regarding the Government’s plans to relocate the hospital further inland, Bent said there has been consultations; however, the process is indeterminate.

“We are awaiting the long term. However, we have had about one or two engagements with [representatives], in terms of doing the assessment as to where we go, and I think most of it is pointing at relocation and it is still not conclusive [as] we are still having discussions. Relocating will take some time,” Bent added.

In his contribution to the 2026/27 Budget Debate last month Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness noted that Hurricane Melissa brought storm surges of eight to 14 feet which tore along the Crane Road corridor leaving the historic waterfront devastated, civic buildings destroyed, and critical infrastructure severely compromised.

“We will not rebuild Black River as it was. We will rebuild it as it should be — and in doing so, create something this town has never possessed in its 300-year history: a real, planned, consolidated urban core. The Urban Development Corporation, working with our development partners, is advancing a climate-resilient redevelopment plan that separates what belongs inland from what belongs on the coast,” said Holness.

“At the heart of the plan is a new urban core, to be developed inland, safely above storm surge and projected sea-level rise. This is where Black River’s essential public functions — its hospital, courthouse, municipal offices, police station, tax office, school, market, and transport hub — will be consolidated into a planned, walkable, flood-safe precinct for the first time.

“A proper town square. A civic park. The buildings will be designed to withstand Category Five wind loads, built on elevated platforms above projected sea-level rise scenarios, with utility corridors, drainage infrastructure, and emergency redundancy,” added Holness.

Hurricane-ravaged Black River Hospital (Photo: Karl Mclarty)