This is the latest update from Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, who welcomed the progress as he toured the facility today.

The construction teams have completed site preparation, demolition, and foundation works, with the main structural elements now in place, including walls and columns. Roofing works are approximately 75 per cent complete, while internal works have advanced to rough casting and rendering, with ceiling installation nearing completion.

Engineering services such as electrical, plumbing, sanitation, and fire safety systems, is currently underway and approximately 35 per cent complete. The next phase will focus on tiling, painting, and the installation of windows and doors, as well as landscaping and retrofitting with tools and medical equipment.

When completed, the expanded health centre will offer a wide range of services, including laboratory services, X-ray, oral rehydration, isolation facilities, treatment and procedure rooms, an asthma bay, diabetic retinopathy screening, and physiotherapy services with dedicated examination and exercise rooms.

Support spaces will include administrative offices, staff lounges, training rooms, a conference room, and nurses’ stations to support both service delivery and workforce development.

The tour was attended by key stakeholders including Mr Aniceto Rodriguez Ruiz, Head of Cooperation at the Delegation of the European Union in Jamaica, whose organisation is the primary funder of the construction works through an EU investment grant. The expansion project is being delivered under the Health Systems Strengthening

Programme (HSSP) as part of a broader initiative to modernise Jamaica’s public health infrastructure.

This health centre expansion represents an estimated investment of JMD 660 million, with construction funded primarily through the European Union grant, and additional

support from the Government of Jamaica for furniture, equipment, and sewage works. Construction is being carried out by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC).

Once finished, the expansion will upgrade the existing facility from a Type 3 to a Type 5 comprehensive health centre, which indicates a significant increase in service capacity.

This will improve healthcare delivery in the Greater Portmore area and reduce pressure on nearby hospital, such as Spanish Town Hospital.

Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, welcomed the progress, as he gave an update on a tour of the facility today.

“So far, the team has finished preparing the site and building the foundation. The main structure is now up, with walls and columns in place,” Tufton said. “The team has finished preparing the site and building the foundation. The main structure is now up, with walls and columns in place. Work has also started on the plumbing and electrical systems, and the roof is 60 per cent complete. The team will now be moving to begin tiling work, and completing the timber roofs.”

The Minister added that finishes, including rendering and plastering, are in progress. “After this, the team will commence activities like the installation of windows and doors, painting, landscaping, and so on,” he told reporters on location.

The project remains on schedule for completion in the first half of this year. Once construction is finished, the HSSP and South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA) teams will oversee retrofitting the facility with staff, furniture, modern medical tools, and the Electronic Health Records (EHR) system, e-Care.

Located on East Street in Old Harbour, the 2,000-square-metre facility will replace the existing Type 3 centre that has outgrown its space. The new centre will be equipped to serve up to 10,000 patients per month, offering a wide range of primary healthcare services, including pharmacy, laboratory, ECG, phlebotomy, X-ray, physiotherapy, and screenings for ophthalmology and audiometry. It will also feature dedicated areas for dentistry, mental health, and maternal and child health services.

The project represents an investment of almost JMD 1 billion, covering construction, medical equipment, furniture, and an on-site wastewater treatment plant.

Funding for the construction is primarily provided through the European Union’s grant to the HSSP, while sewage works, furniture and equipment are being procured through the Government of Jamaica investment.

The facilities to benefit under this engagement are May Pen West (Denbigh) Health Centre and Mocho Health Centre in Clarendon, along with the St. Ann’s Bay Health Centre and St. Ann’s Bay Regional Hospital.

Signed on May 15, 2025, at the ministry’s offices in New Kingston, the contract forms part of the developments under the Health Systems Strengthening Programme (HSSP). The contracts were signed by Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Christopher Tufton, and Lead Architect at Form Architects Limited, Damian Edmond. The signing was witnessed by several other key ministry and local representatives.

Speaking at the signing, Tufton said: “These facilities serve thousands of Jamaicans every year, and they are essential to our delivery of both preventive and curative services. As such, the design phase is crucial – it will ensure that we create modern, efficient, and climate-resilient health spaces that support quality care, improve staff workflow, and enhance patient outcomes.”

Under the terms of the agreement, Form Architects Limited will be responsible for preparing comprehensive architectural and engineering designs, supporting the development of Bills of Quantities, technical specifications, and cost estimates, and assisting with the processes for obtaining building permits and tendering for construction works. The contractor will also provide technical assistance during the implementation phase to ensure alignment with approved plans and standards.

“This contract represents a critical investment by the Ministry, through the HSSP, in the future of healthcare delivery for these communities,” said Orett Clarke, Programme Manager for the HSSP. “It moves us one step closer to making these four healthcare facilities more modern, functional and accessible to the citizens they serve.”

Clarke also noted that the expansion works will allow for a wider range of services to be provided at these facilities, and for better integration of the Electronic Health Records (EHR) system, e-Care. E-Care is now fully implemented in all 13 HSSP facilities.

HSSP was launched in 2018 and is designed to support the management and delivery of healthcare services across Jamaica, with a focus on preventing and managing non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The programme operates with USD $87 million in funding from the Government of Jamaica, a US $50 million loan agreement with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and a USD $10 million grant from the European Union.

A total of 13 facilities – three hospitals and ten health centres – in St Catherine, Clarendon and St Ann are benefitting from enhanced infrastructure, information systems and improved processes under this programe.

BY BILLEANE WILLIAMS

Observer writer williamsb@jamaicaobserver.com

HEALTH Minister Dr Christopher Tufton was advised by contractors Wednesday that the sheer walls of the ground floor of the Spanish Town Hospital will be done over the weekend.

Tufton was on a tour of the construction sites at Spanish Town Hospital and St Jago Park Health Centre on Wednesday.

“The pouring [of concrete for decking] will take approximately one day and once the pour is completed the next step is to build the upper floor. So what they are going to focus on is the ground floor within the next month or so. They are anticipating that by the middle of May we will be getting a crane on site,” said Orette Clarke, programme manager at Health Systems Strengthening Programme, which is overseeing the improvement of health-care infrastructure and services at 13 targeted facilities across the island.

Clarke, who was answering questions posed by Tufton about progress made on the site, said that some adjustments have been made to the project’s completion timeline which is currently being fine-tuned by the contractor and its technical team.

“As communicated in January 2024, the overall project should be completed within 40 months. [That is] 24 months for the construction, eight months for supplying equipment and placing them inside the building, and the remaining months is to operationalise the facility,” Clarke said.

In the meantime, the health minister said that although the pace of the project started slow because of design issues, he is pleased with the progress made by the team.

“There is huge difference between this and Cornwall Regional, and I have to reference Cornwall Regional. This is a greenfield site, meaning we are starting from scratch. There was no need to relocate, except the pharmacy and the lab, and as you can see next door we built a new pharmacy and a new lab.

“We have learnt a lot from the Cornwall Regional experience and so we put a lot of planning in it, led by the team here. Mr Clarke and his team and the contractors so far have complied. From that vantage point we are satisfied. We are comfortable with what is happening,” Tufton said.

The project is set to be completed by the first quarter of 2027.

The Spanish Town Hospital, the island’s largest Type B facility, is undergoing redevelopment valued at approximately $5.5 billion. The project involves constructing a state-of-the-art six-storey building spanning over 17,000 square metres. Once completed, the hospital will offer expanded services, including urology, oncology, cardiology, gastroenterology, ophthalmology, and psychiatry.

The facility will also feature advanced diagnostic services, multiple operating theatres, and a modern Accident and Emergency wing, all integrated with cutting-edge electronic health record systems.

Simultaneously, the St Jago Park Health Centre is being expanded and refurbished at a cost of approximately $704 million. The project includes constructing a new 634-square-metre building and renovating the existing 1,300-square-metre facility. Upon completion, the centre will provide enhanced services such as dentistry, mental health care, diabetic retinopathy screening, and laboratory services.

Portmore, St Catherine – The Ministry of Health & Wellness, through the Health Systems Strengthening Programme (HSSP), today signed contracts and broke ground for the expansion of the Greater Portmore Health Centre in St Catherine, culminating a series of groundbreakings for construction works to improve the healthcare infrastructure in St Catherine.

The latest expansion comes in response to a steady increase in patient visits to the Portmore facility over the years, and the urgent need for larger, more modern facilities. The new 1,252-square-meter building will transform the current Type 3 facility into a Type 5 (comprehensive) primary healthcare centre, providing a wider range of services, including oral rehydration, laboratory services, an isolation room, an X-ray room, treatment and procedure rooms, an asthma bay, diabetic retinopathy screening, and physiotherapy with examination and exercise rooms.

This project represents an investment of JM $660 million, covering construction, equipment, and furnishings. Funding for this is provided primarily by the European Union, as part of their investment grant into the HSSP, with the Government of Jamaica covering the cost of biomedical equipment and furniture. Construction will be undertaken by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), with completion expected in 2026.

The expanded facility is designed to reduce the need for Portmore residents to travel to Spanish Town or Kingston for primary healthcare services, significantly enhancing access to high-quality care close to home.

Earlier this year, ground was broken for a new six-story building at the Spanish Town Hospital, also in the parish. In October, the team broke ground for the mobilisation of works on a brand new comprehensive facility for Old Harbour. Two weeks ago ground was broken for the expansion and renovation of St Jago Park Comprehensive Health Centre. Together, along with the implementation of systems to improve efficiency in the facilities, these projects represent an investment of approximately JM $10 billion into the parish’s healthcare infrastructure.

The HSSP, launched in 2018, is committed to improving the management and delivery of healthcare services across Jamaica, with a focus on preventing and managing non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The programme is supported by a US $50 million loan from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), USD $87 million in funding from the Government of Jamaica, and the European Union’s USD $10 million grant.

A total of 13 facilities – three hospitals and ten health centres – across the island are benefitting from enhanced infrastructure, information systems and improved processes under the HSSP, which is expected to run until 2029.

This follows the groundbreaking for the construction of a brand new comprehensive Health Centre in Old Harbour a few weeks ago to the tune of just under one billion dollars, and the 5.5 billion dollars being invested in the new six-story building at Spanish Town Hospital. The ministry also plans to break ground for the expansion of the Greater Portmore Comprehensive Health Centre, also in the parish, before the end of the year.

Speaking at the contract signing and groundbreaking event yesterday, Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Christopher Tufton emphasised that the new building and renovations at St Jago Park are part of a 10 billion dollar investment in St Catherine’s health services.

“We are now closing the loop with the expansion of the hospital, with the ground-breaking for expansions at the surrounding major health centres, and the electronic health records system, e-Care, that is now being used in the hospital and the health centres,” Tufton said. “We also have a police post here, and we’re enhancing a vector control building at the back, which have both also been unveiled today. Essentially, we are realising the vision and the plan that we have.

“St Catherine is benefitting from a US$65 million investment in its health infrastructure, which is the largest government project in this parish in a very long time,” the minister said. The infrastructure upgrades and electronic health records system implementation are being carried out through the Health Systems Strengthening Programme (HSSP).

Once completed, the upgraded St Jago Park Comprehensive Health Centre will offer expanded services, including dentistry, mental health care, diabetic retinopathy screening, and laboratory services. These improvements are expected to address chronic illnesses and emerging healthcare demands in the parish. An average of 6600 Jamaicans currently use the St Jago Park Comprehensive Health centre on a monthly basis.

HSSP Programme Manager, Mr. Orette Clarke, said: “Today’s groundbreaking represents

another step in our shared vision of a stronger healthcare system. Following the historic

groundbreaking of the Old Harbour Comprehensive Health Centre, this expansion

demonstrates our ongoing commitment to improving access and quality of care.

Together, these projects will provide better healthcare outcomes for the people of St.

Catherine and beyond.”

The project cost of approximately JM $704 million is being funded primarily by the European Union’s USD10 million investment grant into the HSSP. The expansion is expected to be completed within 14 months on groundbreaking, with China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation leading the construction.

Piotr Byczkowski, First Counsellor/Deputy Head of Mission, delegation of the European Union to Jamaica, Belize, The Bahamas, Turks and Caicos and The Cayman Island expressed, “The development of the St Jago Park Health Centre isn’t just about expanding the facilities, it’s about life. It’s about ensuring that every Jamaican, no matter who they are, or where they live, can access the care they need, when they need it. We have seen what is possible when we join forces and Minister Tufton and our partners at the Inter-American Development Bank have been instrumental in driving this vison forward.”

The HSSP was launched in 2018 to address non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and improve healthcare infrastructure across Jamaica. The programme is supported by a US $50 million loan from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), USD $87 million in funding from the Government of Jamaica, and the European Union’s USD $10 million grant.

A total of 13 facilities – three hospitals and ten health centres – across the island are benefitting from enhanced infrastructure, information systems and improved processes under the HSSP, which is expected to run until 2029.