MANDEVILLE, Manchester — Paediatric services have been bolstered at the Mandeville Regional Hospital with the donation of 20 beds by Jamalco and Century Aluminum.

In accepting the donation, chairman of the Southern Regional Health Authority (SRHA) Michael Stern described it as timely.

“We have a shortage of beds and a shortage of space, so we have to deal with both… This donation is vital for strengthening the hospital’s capacity to deliver quality care to one of the most valuable groups, our children and the future of Jamaica,” Stern said last Thursday during the handing over of the beds valued at $3.8 million.

He lauded Jamalco and Century Aluminum for continued corporate philanthropy focused on enhancing education, community development and health.

“The Southern Regional Health Authority has enjoyed a long-standing and fruitful relationship with Jamalco which has resulted in the health facilities benefiting from millions of dollars of improvement in the health-care system in our region,” added Stern.

He pointed to a recent partnership between Jamalco and Cousin’s Construction in renovating the accident and emergency department waiting area at the Lionel Town Hospital at a cost of $6.5 million.

“That project transformed what was once an opened and exposed space to a modern, enclosed, and welcoming environment. Ten years ago Lionel Town Hospital was a shell compared to what it is now. We have 26 doctors there, coming up from five doctors, dealing with various care for patients,” said Stern.

“Transforming [facilities] is very important to us because we don’t have all the money to do things, so we need corporate sponsorship,” he added.

Stern highlighted the present overcrowding at Mandeville Regional Hospital, which he linked to the continued recovery effort post-Hurricane Melissa.

“The data is now showing that the surge of cases at the hospital was as a result of the damage caused by Hurricane Melissa, and the hospitals have generally been struggling with the overcrowding — and that started from like November. The data showed that between November and February there were upward trends. In November, after the hurricane, 589 patients were admitted. In December, 534 patients were admitted. In January, 548 patients. Remember now, we are coming from 200 and odd beds,” said Stern.

“The hospital was never built to have so many [patients]. We have to create space in the corridors, in the [wards] to create space. These are not the only beds we have brought into the hospital,” he added while pointing to the reduction in admission to 492 patients in March.

Vice-president and chief accounting officer at Century Aluminum Rob Hoffman said the donation is one of many philanthropic efforts done by the company.

“This contribution forms part of Jamalco’s 2026 initiative community development programme where we reach out to the communities in which we operate and continue to invest in health, education and infrastructure,” said Hoffman.

Meanwhile, Member of Parliament for Manchester Central Rhoda Crawford also lauded Jamalco’s contribution to community development, education and health.

“There are countless occasions where representatives from Jamalco have reached out to me to sponsor young people to pay for their skills training. Many youngsters from my constituency have benefited from those kinds of programmes. They have done extremely well and we have all been very happy,” said Crawford.