Health workers commended for strength after Hurricane Melissa

WESTERN BUREAU:

Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton has praised medical personnel for their resilience after Hurricane Melissa caused widespread damage to health facilities, calling the Category 5 storm one of the most devastating on record.

Tufton, speaking during a tour of the full-service field hospital established by the Spanish government on the grounds of the Falmouth Hospital, said local healthcare workers performed admirably despite personal losses.

“The health system and the team, the personnel in particular, are extremely resilient,” he said. “We have survived many storms, many outbreaks – COVID being the last big one – but this time many of them have been personally impacted, with homes and possessions damaged.”

Repairs to the Falmouth Hospital are expected to begin soon, Tufton said, with contractors set to address medium-term needs following preliminary work to maintain essential services such as dietary and storage. “Next week, we will see a more visible presence of contractors that will begin to address the areas that need to be fixed,” he said.

The temporary hospital is staffed by 80 Spanish doctors, nurses, engineers and technicians working alongside Jamaican professionals. Tufton said the facility is critical to restoring services while permanent repairs are carried out. “It provides not only an entire hospital, but also personnel, giving our people time to address their own circumstances while helping us rebuild,” he said.

Tufton also expressed confidence in the field hospital’s capacity to deliver high-quality services, noting that it is staffed by highly skilled professionals.

Spain’s Ambassador to Jamaica, José María Fernández López de Turiso, joined Tufton and Western Regional Health Authority officials on the tour. He said Spain was pleased to assist Jamaica in its time of need. “This is a state-of-the-art facility, which is here to help rebuild the infrastructure, which was severely damaged by Hurricane Melissa,” the ambassador said. “Therefore, the Government of Jamaica will be complemented by our A-team of professional doctors and nurses, who have come to lend a helping hand.”

The ambassador also used the opportunity to commend Tufton for the extraordinary level of cooperation between the Spanish and Jamaican medical teams, who have forged a good working relationship. “We are working in a full spirit of cooperation, a good partnership,” he said. “So again, the team is here to help Jamaica to recover from this hurricane.”

Reporters toured the operating theatre, delivery room, pharmacy, laboratories, radiology department, wards, accident and emergency section, and triage areas. During the visit, they met Naceem Coley of Clarks Town, Trelawny, who became the first mother to give birth at the field hospital. Her daughter, Shanice, was delivered by C-section on November 13, the night before the tour.

adrian.frater@gleanerjm.com