Negril Health Centre adopted

Western Bureau:

The Negril Health Centre in Westmoreland is now added to the list of over 30 adopted health centres within the Ministry of Health and Wellness, under its Adopt-A-Clinic programme, following an official ceremony held at that facility on Friday.

At the ceremony, a plaque was unveiled on which the Rotary Club of Negril was identified as the organisation that has adopted the health facility. This follows extensive expansion and refurbishing work carried out by the Rotary Club.

The Negril Health Centre is the fifth of the 20 health centres in Westmoreland to be adopted under the Adopt-A-Clinic programme, following the adoption by other organisations of the health centres in Lambs River, Petersfield, Little London and Georges Plain.

According to Ramon Bremmer, immediate past president of the Rotary Club of Negril, the club spent approximately $14 million over a two-year period on the Negril facility, with the scope of work including new ceilings, tiling of the floors, installing new windows, creating additional building space and installing lighting fixtures, fans, air conditioners, adding a sterilisation room, and extending the paediatric area.

financial contributions

He said that financial contributions from several Rotary Clubs across North America and Canada, along with the Rotary Clubs International Foundation and the input of the Rotary Club of Negril, made the initiative possible.

“This work took place in a way that allowed the clinic to continue to offer service to the residents of Negril,” Bremmer said.

Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Christopher Tufton, while describing the network of primary healthcare facilities across the country as “the bedrock of public health” nationally, argued that the Adopt-A-Clinic programme is aimed at creating a public-private partnership in improving the level of primary healthcare.

“One of the advantages of primary healthcare is its reach into the very local community, and a big demonstration of good public health is how you forge partnerships with the people,” he stated.

“The concept of Adopt-A-Clinic was really to do two things – to try to reemphasise the importance of primary healthcare by highlighting the role that you (the private sector) play and why we must support that role; also, the importance of partnership in public health,” he emphasised, adding that it is an important initiative irrespective of the level of any contribution made.

Tufton extended commendations to the Rotary Club of Negril for its contributions to the project. He also announced that there is an expansion plan in place for the Negril Health Centre, the drawings of which are already done.

“We did get some commitments from the business community (in Negril) that they would step up and be a part of any expansion, and, as I said, we have the design,” he stated. He expressed the view that based on the costing for the planned expansion, the project might have to be done in phases.

Tufton said that he will be approaching the National Health Fund for its support with the project.