THE Ministry of Public Health has invested over $38M for the construction of a pediatric ward and renovation of the male and female surgical and obstetrics-gynaecology (OB-GYN) wards, at the Mahaicony Cottage Hospital, said a news bulletin from the Department of Public Information (DPI).

The new facility is also outfitted with ramps and a lift to accommodate persons with disabilities, DPI said.

“The vision of the government and the Ministry of Public Health is to ensure that every boy, girl, woman and man in this region and all regions live their fullest potential and be among the healthiest in the Caribbean and the Region of the Americas,” said Volda Lawrence, Minister of Public Health, at the opening on Friday.

Minister Lawrence added that fulfilling UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Three remains a priority for her ministry.  SDG Three promotes healthy lives and well-being for all at all ages.

“All of you here today, including our counsellors, are entitled to the highest quality of healthcare services without undue hardship. That is your human and fundamental right. The ministry believes that all our communities from the hinterland to the coastland can enjoy quality healthcare services at all our healthcare facilities,” she added.

According to Regional Health Officer, Dr. Desmond Nicholson, the Regional Health Department is proud to have added 25 more beds, since service delivery was an essential component of healthcare systems and patient density is an indicator of the level of service delivery.

Meanwhile, Region Five REO, Ovid Morrison, expressed his gratitude to the ministry and added that they would be doing feasibility studies for the set-up of a state-of-the-art hospital in the region.

“We want our people to receive the care they need and should have in this region,” he said.
Also present at the opening ceremony was Director of Regional Health Services, Dr. Kay Shako.