SAVANNA-LA-MAR, Westmoreland — Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Desmond McKenzie has confirmed that infirmaries across Jamaica will have a member of staff trained to provide residents with mental health support as of this financial year.

According to McKenzie, this is part of the significant strides being made to improve the services and staffing of these facilities across the island.

“We are moving to add an additional complement of staffing support, and that is for the first time in our infirmaries a member of staff will be trained as a psychiatric nurse in dealing with the problems of mental health and other social cases that are in our infirmaries,” stated McKenzie.

“This is a first for infirmaries in Jamaica and it comes under this administration,” McKenzie added.

He was speaking at the opening ceremony for a male ward at the Westmoreland Infirmary last Wednesday.

In February McKenzie announced that thought was being given to employ nurses aides to provide care to patients in need of mental health support. He said this It was the State’s response to shortcomings in the existing system.

“I remember going to an infirmary and I saw where they have to lock away at least three or four of the residents in an area by themselves because of the mental health challenge that they pose,” the minister said at the official opening of a male ward at the St James Infirmary in Montego Bay on February 15.

Training staff in psychiatry is just one of the initiatives the local government ministry is employing to improve the quality of life for those in State care. There is also an ongoing effort to ensure infirmaries across the country have access to ambulances. The local government ministry is working with the Culture, Health, Arts, Sports and Education (CHASE) Fund on this.

“We have many infirmaries that are operating without these services. An ambulance is a very important part of the requirements, and I am pleased to announce that the parishes of St Elizabeth and Portland will benefit shortly from two brand new ambulances that will be provided by the CHASE Fund,” revealed McKenzie.

In Westmoreland the ministry has spent more than $350 million on social intervention projects. Among them is the building of a new male ward and a residence for the matron of the infirmary. The $53-million ward was constructed by the Westmoreland Municipal Corporation with funds provided by the National Housing Trust.

Meanwhile, a kitchen and dining facility are currently under construction for the St James Infirmary. In addition, two concrete houses have been constructed and distributed to Westmoreland’s indigent while another three are currently under construction.