Catherine Hall residents want back their health centre

WESTERN BUREAU:

While most of the public health centres in western Jamaica have been returned to full service since the passage of Hurricane Melissa six months ago, residents of Catherine Hall in Montego Bay, St James, are appealing to the authority to speed up the restoration of their facility, which remains out of service.

“The health centre is quite an important part of the community, because health is the only wealth some of us will ever have,” said Carlton Smith, a resident. “Anything involving health should always get priority attention.”

During a tour of the Catherine Hall facility last Friday, Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton stated that 19 of the parish’s 22 health centres sustained damage during the hurricane, and many, to include Glendevon and Green Pond, have since resumed services under the Hurricane Restoration Programme.

“Phase one is close to complete, which means the resumption of services as patients would know it under the roofs of the existing facilities. Green Pond, for example, restarted maternal and child health services this week, and we’ve seen a strong turnout of young mothers,” said Tufton.

However, for the residents of Catherine Hall, the closure of their health centre has meant longer travel times, disrupted access to routine care, and added strain on surrounding clinics. Floodwaters associated with the hurricane damaged equipment, furniture and beyond at the facility.

“Catherine Hall requires substantial work. The team will have to report to me on that, and it will be addressed in phase two of the restoration programme,” said Tufton.

PATIENTS RETURNING

Since the passage of the hurricane, residents of Catherine Hall have had to be relying on neighbouring centres such as the Montego Bay Type Five, which is often crowded and challenging to vulnerable patients, particularly the elderly and those managing chronic illnesses.

However, despite these setbacks, Tufton noted that overall patient usage has rebounded to more than 90 per cent across St James.

“We were concerned in the immediate aftermath that persons were not going back to their health centres, but the information now is that they are returning, which is a very good sign,” he said.

In reference to staffing concerns, Tufton said the departure of Cuban nurses had little effect on services in the parish, as foreign personnel were limited in the St James’ primary healthcare system. He went on to urge residents to continue using their health centres for chronic illness management.

“We are a country afflicted by diabetes and hypertension. If you don’t control it, you’re going to end up in the Accident and Emergency Ward, and we’re trying to avoid that,”

With phase one nearly complete, attention now turns to phase two, which will deliver structural upgrades to ensure that facilities like Catherine Hall are rebuilt stronger and more resilient against future storms.

“St James has been tested, but the health system is bouncing back,” said Tufton. “We are committed to ensuring that every community, including Catherine Hall, has access to reliable primary healthcare, no matter the challenges.”

albert.ferguson@gleanerjm.com