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Black River Hospital Gets Interim Maternity Ward
Published: Thursday | April 25, 20130 Comments
Dr Fenton Ferguson
Launtia Cuff, Gleaner Writer
BLACK RIVER, St Elizabeth:
IN AN effort to curb overcrowding at the Black River Hospital, St Elizabeth, the Ministry of Health last Friday opened the newly refurbished interim Maternity Ward at that hospital last Friday.
The ward, which will function as a maternity ward until renovation is done on the previous maternity facility, was completed through a grant from the National Health Fund.
Minister of Health Dr Fenton Ferguson said the opening of the interim maternity ward at the Black River Hospital is in keeping with the ministry's commitment to improve maternal and child health in Jamaica.
"This ward is important to the operations of the Black River Hospital, which serves an estimated population of 175,000 and meets the health-care needs of the citizens of St Elizabeth and those from the neighbouring parishes of St James, Manchester and Westmoreland."
NO MATERNAL DEATHS
Diana Brown-Miller, chief executive officer of the hospital, said the facility was once negatively perceived as a 'death knell' but has gradually changed over the years as a result of a number of upgrades that have been done.
"The truth is, we have been getting a lot of rating ever since. What we have noticed is that the more infrastructural development that we do, is the more we get the demand for service," Brown-Miller said.
Senior Medical Officer Dr Glen Day said the hospital, which has an average of 1,400 to 1,500 births per annum, has recorded no maternal deaths for the last three years, a record that most other hospitals are unable to boast.
Sterling Soares, chairman of the National Health Fund (NHF), said the work completed for the new facility was only part of the work the fund was doing in the health sector across the island.
"The NHF provided a grant of approximately $15 million for the work that was done. This is just one of the secondary health-care facilities across the island being refurbished by the fund, over the years.
"The work done resulted in an additional 25 beds dedicated to the female medical ward and an isolation base. It will also serve, if necessary, as an overflow ward for the accident and emergency department," Soares said.
The refurbished facility, which served as a children's ward, had received significant damage during the passage of Hurricane Ivan in 2004 as well and had deteriorated owing to termite infestation.
Published: Thursday | April 25, 20130 Comments
Dr Fenton Ferguson
Launtia Cuff, Gleaner Writer
BLACK RIVER, St Elizabeth:
IN AN effort to curb overcrowding at the Black River Hospital, St Elizabeth, the Ministry of Health last Friday opened the newly refurbished interim Maternity Ward at that hospital last Friday.
The ward, which will function as a maternity ward until renovation is done on the previous maternity facility, was completed through a grant from the National Health Fund.
Minister of Health Dr Fenton Ferguson said the opening of the interim maternity ward at the Black River Hospital is in keeping with the ministry's commitment to improve maternal and child health in Jamaica.
"This ward is important to the operations of the Black River Hospital, which serves an estimated population of 175,000 and meets the health-care needs of the citizens of St Elizabeth and those from the neighbouring parishes of St James, Manchester and Westmoreland."
NO MATERNAL DEATHS
Diana Brown-Miller, chief executive officer of the hospital, said the facility was once negatively perceived as a 'death knell' but has gradually changed over the years as a result of a number of upgrades that have been done.
"The truth is, we have been getting a lot of rating ever since. What we have noticed is that the more infrastructural development that we do, is the more we get the demand for service," Brown-Miller said.
Senior Medical Officer Dr Glen Day said the hospital, which has an average of 1,400 to 1,500 births per annum, has recorded no maternal deaths for the last three years, a record that most other hospitals are unable to boast.
Sterling Soares, chairman of the National Health Fund (NHF), said the work completed for the new facility was only part of the work the fund was doing in the health sector across the island.
"The NHF provided a grant of approximately $15 million for the work that was done. This is just one of the secondary health-care facilities across the island being refurbished by the fund, over the years.
"The work done resulted in an additional 25 beds dedicated to the female medical ward and an isolation base. It will also serve, if necessary, as an overflow ward for the accident and emergency department," Soares said.
The refurbished facility, which served as a children's ward, had received significant damage during the passage of Hurricane Ivan in 2004 as well and had deteriorated owing to termite infestation.