Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton says Cornwall Regional Hospital has returned to near pre-hurricane bed capacity, but staffing gaps, abandoned patients and delays in a field hospital are still straining services.
Addressing members of the media during a briefing Thursday afternoon at the Cornwall Regional Hospital in Montego Bay, Tufton said the hospital has effectively doubled its capacity to nearly 300 beds, since Hurricane Melissa struck in October.
The recovery has eased some pressure, but Tufton cautioned that the system remains under strain, with dozens of patients still waiting in Accident and Emergency for admission.
A major concern is the increasing number of “social cases”, patients medically fit for discharge but abandoned by relatives, he said.
Health officials estimate that nearly 60 such patients are currently occupying beds across CRH and one of their houses for social cases located in Orange District, St. James.
“We can’t put them out,” Tufton said, noting that the situation continues to place an unfair burden on the healthcare system.
In response, the Government has allocated funding to the St James Municipal Corporation to expand capacity at the St James Infirmary, where many of these patients are expected to be transferred.
The health ministry has provided funding to support the construction of a 50-bed ward at the facility and has also committed to assisting with feeding and care arrangements during the transition.
Tufton acknowledged that caring for social cases falls outside the ministry’s core mandate but said the intervention is necessary given current pressures on hospital space.
Meanwhile, anticipated relief from a 100-bed field hospital has been delayed, with the unit still not on the island due to logistical challenges affecting the overseas donor.
“The ground is ready… we continue to wait,” Tufton said, expressing disappointment over the delay.
Despite these challenges, the minister maintained that the hospital is in a better position than it was in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, when bed capacity was severely reduced.
janet.silvera@gleanerjm.com
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