WESTMORELAND, Jamaica — The Ministry of Health and Wellness is currently in the process of establishing a field hospital at the Savanna-la-Mar Public General Hospital in Westmoreland.

The facility will aid in the provision of medical services to the parish that was devastated by the passage of Hurricane Melissa in October.

The announcement was made by Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton during an interview with Observer Online on Saturday.

Tufton did not provide an implementation and operation date for the facility.

“We have a third that we are hoping to set up in Savanna-la-Mar at the hospital, as well as a makeshift outpatient health clinic for the outpatient clinic that was destroyed,” revealed Tufton.

The minister said more details will be provided on the initiative during the course of the week.

Efforts to create a field hospital in Savanna-la-Mar follow a similar one that was established in Black River to support the Black River Hospital in St Elizabeth that was also damaged by the storm.

The minister said a second field hospital is currently being contemplated for Black River. He said more information will be provided during the week.

The first field hospital in Black River, which is currently in operation, was established a few days ago by Samaritan’s Purse, a non-governmental organisation (NGO).

A Spanish emergency field hospital was also established on the grounds of Falmouth Public General Hospital in Trelawny. The facility was made possible through a deployment by the government of Spain, with the support of the European Union and Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization.

Similarly, Samaritan’s Purse also erected a field clinic in a community centre in Whitehouse. The original building, which is located in the town of Whitehouse, was damaged by the storm.

The Whitehouse facility, which is made of tents, is expected to commence operations on Monday.

— Anthony Lewis