Black River Hospital reopens after J$300 million rehabilitation
Key Points(5)
- The Black River Hospital has officially reopened following an eight-month rehabilitation programme costing approximately $300 million, a year after Hurricane Melissa severely damaged the facility.
- The hospital has been upgraded from 150 to 180 beds and now features two operating theatres, expanded nursery facilities and a reinforced concrete roof designed to improve its resilience to severe weather.
- Prime Minister Andrew Holness officially reopened the facility on Oct.
- 28, marking one year since Hurricane Melissa caused widespread destruction across St.
- Holness described the restoration as symbolic of the wider recovery effort and said the upgraded hospital would improve health care services for residents of Black River and surrounding communities.
The Black River Hospital has officially reopened following an eight-month rehabilitation program costing approximately $300 million, a year after Hurricane Melissa severely damaged the facility.
The hospital has been upgraded from 150 to 180 beds and now features two operating rooms, expanded nursery facilities and a reinforced concrete roof designed to improve its resilience to severe weather.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness officially reopened the facility on Oct. 28, marking one year since Hurricane Melissa caused widespread destruction across St. Elizabeth.
Holness described the restoration as symbolic of the wider recovery effort and said the upgraded hospital would improve health care services for residents of Black River and surrounding communities.
“This is now a far more functional building than before, and so, the people of Black River can be assured that they will have proper health services,” he said.
The prime minister recalled that the government allocated approximately $3.8 billion to the health sector shortly after the hurricane to repair damaged hospitals. He also commended Health and Wellness Minister Christopher Tufton for moving quickly to implement the ministry's recovery program.
Holness acknowledged health care workers who continued treating patients after the storm, despite suffering significant personal losses.
Tufton said the rehabilitation focused on strengthening the facility and improving the delivery of health services. In addition to the two operating rooms, staff quarters have been completed and the accident and emergency department is operational. Work on the administrative building is being finalized.
The minister also highlighted the expansion of the nursery, which previously had five beds and now has 20 for mothers and their babies.
“We had the resources, and we had to start work without even a plan. I told them just follow the footprint of the hospital and make sure it is stronger than before,” Tufton said.
Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining Minister Floyd Green, who represents St. Elizabeth South Western, described the reopening as a major step forward for the parish, which sustained extensive damage during the hurricane.
He said the restoration would allow patients to move from temporary accommodation into improved facilities and thanked health care workers who remained on duty during the storm despite the risks.
