The opening of the refurbished Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department at Cornwall Regional Hospital (CRH) last Friday is an occasion for genuine celebration, particularly for the people of western Jamaica who have endured years of disruption, inconvenience, and uncertainty as the hospital underwent its long-awaited rehabilitation.

The new facility, described by clinical coordinator for the Western Regional Health Authority Dr Delroy Fray as a first-class, state-of-the-art department, promises a significant improvement in the delivery of emergency medical care. Its advanced diagnostic stations, cutting-edge operating theatres for immediate surgical intervention, and high-efficiency triage arrangements should provide medical personnel with a considerably better environment in which to respond to emergencies. Equally important, the emphasis on dignity, speed, and patient comfort represents the kind of patient-centred approach that must underpin modern health care.

These improvements should undoubtedly assist staff in providing more efficient, professional, and responsive service to the public. However, first-class infrastructure must be matched by first-class service; adequate staffing, equipment, and supplies; and a commitment to treating patients with competence and compassion.

Still, it is difficult to celebrate this achievement without reflecting on the extraordinary length of time it has taken to get here. The rehabilitation of the 52-year-old, 10-storey hospital has been a near-decade-long undertaking, during which patients and health-care workers were forced to contend with cramped and difficult conditions. Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness’s apology to the people of western Jamaica for the hardship endured, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, was therefore both necessary and appropriate.

Dr Holness also made a revealing admission when he conceded that, in retrospect, it might have been quicker to demolish the old building and construct an entirely new hospital. We agree. In fact, the Government should have taken that bold decision from the outset. Given the age of the structure, the scale of the rehabilitation required, and the eventual $23.5-billion price tag, a new hospital would almost certainly have been the wiser and more practical option. More importantly, it would have been completed a long time ago, sparing western Jamaica years of uncertainty and the health system the prolonged disruption.

That said, the present Government deserves commendation for finally undertaking a project whose necessity had been neglected by successive administrations. The ageing hospital’s deficiencies were not created overnight, and the failure to address them decisively over the years represents a collective failure of governance.

But the opening of the A&E Department must not be mistaken for the end of the job. With the remaining sections of CRH expected to open by March 2027, the Government and health authorities must ensure that the investment is protected through sustained maintenance, timely repairs, and proper management.

Jamaica has too often demonstrated an unfortunate tendency to build, refurbish, and celebrate, only to neglect facilities until they deteriorate and require another costly intervention. Cornwall Regional Hospital must not suffer that fate again.

The people of western Jamaica deserve a hospital that is not merely impressive at its opening, but remains safe, functional, properly equipped, and professionally managed for decades to come. That is the real measure of success.