KINGSTON, Jamaica — Important investments are earmarked for Jamaica’s public well being sector within the upcoming 2026–2027 fiscal yr, with billions of {dollars} allotted to hospital growth and modernisation tasks.
In line with the Estimates of Expenditure lately tabled within the Home of Representatives, roughly $13 billion has been put aside for main well being initiatives. Of that sum, almost $10 billion will assist works at three key establishments: the College Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI), Cornwall Regional Hospital (CRH), and the Western Youngsters and Adolescent Hospital (WCAH).
The funds outlines that $3 billion will go towards finishing development at WCAH, the place works are reported to be no less than 80 per cent full. The extra funding is anticipated to deliver the challenge to completion throughout the brand new fiscal yr.
Cornwall Regional Hospital has been allotted $5 billion to advance Section Three of its redevelopment. The funds will proceed civil works and transfer the challenge towards 95 per cent completion. The allocation may also facilitate the procurement of apparatus, furnishings, and provides, together with revisions to coaching and upkeep insurance policies to assist operations. A further $2.6 billion is projected for the next monetary yr. Thus far, roughly $11 billion has been spent on the redevelopment of the Montego Bay-based facility.
In the meantime, $1.4 billion has been earmarked for redevelopment and modernisation actions at UHWI. The funding will cowl the engagement of a consultancy supervision agency and development work associated to a brand new tower. Additional annual spending of simply over $4 billion is projected for UHWI by way of the 2029–2030 fiscal yr.
Along with hospital infrastructure, the Authorities has allotted $4 billion for its Prevention and Care Administration of Non-Communicable Illnesses Programme.
Opposition Spokesman on Well being, Dr Alfred Dawes, has raised issues relating to staffing provisions on the Western Youngsters and Adolescent Hospital, stating that the allocations might not sufficiently tackle personnel wants.
The multi-billion-dollar funding kinds a part of the Authorities’s broader public well being technique for the upcoming fiscal interval.
