The National Health Fund (NHF) allocated some $10.5 million to five Labour Day projects carried out across the island on Monday, May 23.

Chief Executive Officer at the NHF, Everton Anderson, said as an institution the NHF values the community and, as such, its participation in community projects is key.

“We realise that it is very important that we all work together to improve our facilities, improve health in our communities and really be enablers for good health in our population. To be able to assist five health facilities with their Labour Day projects this year through our Community Work Day programme is significant,” Anderson said.

The Lionel Town Hospital and Crofts Hill Health Centre in Clarendon, Green Pond Health Centre in St. James, Watermount Health Centre in St Catherine, and the Princess Margaret Hospital in St Thomas were the facilities that benefitted from the Community Work Day projects on Labour Day.

Melecia Linton, chief executive officer of the Princess Margaret Hospital, was very elated about the long overdue beautification of the facility.

“The work being done is necessary so it was very pleasing to receive support from the NHF. We want to ensure that when our staff come to work it is conducive to productivity, and when patients come they also feel pleased about the environment and space that they receive care.”

The block housing the x-ray lab, the maternity ward, and the central sterile supply department as well as the accident and emergency area at the hospital were repainted. One of the main patient bathrooms was tiled and landscaping work was carried out on the compound.

Lennox Wallace, parish manager of the St James Health Department was equally as pleased with the Labour Day project in his area – a boundary wall constructed at the Green Pond Health Centre – due to the history of flooding at the facility.

“Whenever we have heavy rains this is always one of two health centres [in St James] to be flooded. I am happy to see the work being carried out by the NHF knowing that material that would have otherwise been destroyed can be saved, and that patient treatment does not have to be delayed. We are extremely glad to know that if we should have heavy rainfall for the rest of the year, the Health Centre and its facilities will be safe.”

The community workday at the Lionel Town Hospital saw the facility being repainted and refreshed. Among the other facilities to be renovated as a part of the NHF’s Community Work Days initiative are the Lowe River Health Centre, Mt Peto Health Centre, and the Port Maria Hospital.