KINGSTON, Jamaica – Minister of Health, Dr Christopher Tufton in his contribution to the Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives this afternoon said that the Cornwall Regional Hospital (CRH) in St James is perhaps the biggest challenge Jamaica faced in public health in the 2016/17 fiscal year.

Tufton was quick to note that authorities are no longer in that danger zone of trying to figure out the crisis but said the importance of the facility cannot be overstated, as it is the only “Type A” hospital outside of the corporate area.According to the minster a contractor has already been selected under a limited tender process to design a new ventilation system to replace the noxious fume-leaking one at the 43-year-old institution.The first task of the ministry, he said, was to secure the health and safety of health care staff and patients, while preserving service levels for the thousands of Jamaicans who depend on the facility.Tufton reiterated that all outpatient services have been relocated and the hospital caters to roughly 600 patients each day from locations other than the main building that is under investigation and repair.Supporting services such as lab services have been relocated and are operational, he said, while revealing that the biggest challenge was patient care.The ministry has now relocated parts of this service, while securing a section of the facility that would be difficult to relocate, the minister said.Shanica Blair