Port Antonio Health Centre certified ‘Gold’
Feb. 20, 2023
Facility receives full smart retrofit for care in disaster
KINGSTON, Jamaica. Saturday, February 18, 2023: Following major retrofitting and upgrading activities, the Port Antonio Health Centre is now considered climate-resistant and equipped to deliver care in disaster. Certified to ‘gold’ standards in keeping with international best practices, the ‘smart’ health centre is improved to withstand climate-related events such as strong winds, flooding, and earthquakes.
The centre is one of twelve for which a range of rehabilitative works are now completed under the Smart Health Care Facilities in the Caribbean Project. A full retrofit has improved the facility’s safety standards and equipped it with greener technology through funding from the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and support from the Pan-Amercan Health Organization (PAHO).
The upgrade forms part of the Ministry’s strategic goal to make available to the public, modern, reliable infrastructure for health service delivery.
Through the Smart Health Project, the Ministry is assessing and transforming health infrastructure to make them resilient and operational during and after climate-related events.
“Climate change issues are cross-cutting and health services often disrupted during and following weather-related events. Preserving health is therefore central to discussions for sustainable development. It is with this in mind that we welcome yet another SMART facility under the PAHO-implemented project to build resilience and safeguard healthcare delivery against crises,” said Minister of State, the Hon. Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn during a ceremonial handover event on Friday.
The ’smarting’ of health facilities directly aligns with the Ministry’s health impact goal to reduce the number of cases of death, disability, and illness, with emphasis on protection of the poor and vulnerable populations affected by emergencies and disasters.
A total of £8.5 million pounds or UDS 11 million is allocated to Jamaica through the Smart Health Care Facilities Project.
“The UK is proud to support Jamaica’s efforts to reduce disaster vulnerability of vital public buildings and boost its climate resilience. This important work has also provided a helpful platform for risk reduction planning within the health sector, with ‘SMART’ resilience standards and a rollout to more facilities hopefully being a part of Jamaica’s health sector adaptation strategy going forward,” noted Her Excellency Judith Slater, British High Commissioner to Jamaica.
Climate Resiliency
Globally, weather-related emergency and disaster events are an increasing threat to the health sector and health security, with likely impacts such as the emergence of food, water-borne and vector-borne diseases; water insecurity; accidents; and damage to infrastructure due to disasters such as floods, storms, earthquakes and hurricanes. As a small island developing state Jamaica is vulnerable to climate risks caused by natural disasters. At the same time, health facilities can undergo serious damage and the destruction to water supply and sewage systems directly affect the health of the population dependent on these services.
“Since 2016, PAHO/WHO has been implementing this UKAID project in Jamaica in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Wellness, which reinforces that sustainability of health facilities must be enhanced to ensure continued service delivery immediately after the impact of hazards such as hurricanes, when communities need healthcare most,” highlighted Ian Stein, PAHO/WHO Country Representative to Jamaica, Bermuda and the Cayman Islands.
Certified Smart
“With funding through UKAID, we continue to see significant investment to further strengthen our health systems to make them safer and greener facilities. We remain grateful for PAHO’s technical cooperation and support in moving us toward climate-resilient health systems that can anticipate, prepare, prevent, respond and quickly rebound from the risks associated with climate change,” the Minister of State added.
Port Antonio Health Centre is now certifiable as meeting the PAHO A70 standards of the Ministry’s Smart Programme, which is the Climate Resiliency Programme for the Health Sector. Upgrades to improve the facility include expansion of the waiting area; antimicrobial floor surfaces in critical clinical areas; hurricane-resistant windows and doors; efficient lighting and energy system; installation of a backup generator and fuel storage; and improved storm drainage and roofing.
Other health facilities upgraded under the project are: Albert Town, Darliston, Gayle, Norman Gardens, Windward Road, Yallahs, Sydenham, Cumberland Road and St. Ann’s Bay Health Centres. Rehabilitating critical health infrastructure is a major and necessary part of the Ministry’s plans to modernise health service delivery. Programmes for disaster risk reduction (DRR) are coordinated through the Ministry’s Emergency, Disaster Management and Special Services Branch.