May Pen Hospital gets field unit for COVID-19 patients
A40- bed mobile field hospital was officially opened at the May Pen Hospital in Clarendon.
The facility, donated by the United Sates government, through the US Embassy in Jamaica, is valued at $132 million.
John McIntyre, chargé d’Affaires of the US Embassy, said the field hospital is an investment that will enhance the Jamaican Government’s ability to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“To date, the US government has donated over US$ 12 million in COVID-related assistance to Jamaica, including USAID’s announcement that it will provide an additional US$5.2 million to advance vaccination and strengthen health systems to diagnose, manage and mitigate COVID-19 transmission,” McIntyre said.
Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Christopher Tufton said that the donation of the field hospital shows the strength of the relationship between the countries and symbolises the collaboration that is necessary to overcome the global pandemic.
“I really want to put on record our appreciation for this facility,” said Tufton.
“These field hospitals will serve the purpose for which they are intended and we expect that they will continue to serve additional purposes later on. In a strange way we have used COVID, which is a threat, as an opportunity for us to build- out our infrastructure. If there is one good thing that comes out of COVID, it’s that after COVID, our health infrastructure is going to be more resilient and it is for us to structure it in a way to tackle the nonCOVID issues,” Tufton said.