Mon | Dec 30, 2024

Bustamante Hospital’s expansion long overdue – Tufton

Published:Friday | December 1, 2023 | 12:13 AMChristopher Serju/Senior Gleaner Writer
Kina Gay Brown (mother), Chain of Hope executive director Emma Scanlan (second left), Tashoni Ellis (background), marketing manager, Dolla Financial, six-year-old Oneila Dunn (previous beneficiary) and Dr Christopher Tufton, minister of health and wellness
Gladstone Taylor
Kina Gay Brown (mother), Chain of Hope executive director Emma Scanlan (second left), Tashoni Ellis (background), marketing manager, Dolla Financial, six-year-old Oneila Dunn (previous beneficiary) and Dr Christopher Tufton, minister of health and wellness. Th occasion was the celebration of Chain of Hope’s 20th year of cardiac care to Bustamante Hospital for Children (BHC), at BHC yesterday.

CAPACITY EXPANSION at the Bustamante Hospital for Children in St Andrew is long overdue, Minister of Health and Wellness Christopher Tufton disclosed on Thursday.

He was addressing the anniversary of Chain of Hope Jamaica on the grounds of the hospital and offered some insight into the progress being made in that regard.

“Busta is due for some expansion, and I am told that we need another 100 beds, and there is a conversation that’s taking place around that. The ICU (intensive care unit) needs expansion. There is a conversation taking place around that, and I am hoping it will happen soon because it is well overdue and we will need to ensure that we fast -track that.”

The health minister then gave an update on the Western Child and Adolescent Hospital, which is being constructed on the grounds of the Cornwall Regional Hospital in Montego Bay, St James.

“If you go across to western Jamaica, you will see an eight-storey building with 220 beds, which is in full throttle as a brand-new facility that will be focused on children care but up to 18 (years-old) as opposed to up to 12 here at Bustamante,” he shared. “It will have five operating theatres and will offer or provide a range of specialist services, including cardiac care and other services for that population.”

Meanwhile, Dr Anthony Wood, CEO of the Bustamante Hospital for Children, which is celebrating 60 years, thanked the Chain of Hope for providing life-saving cardiac surgery and especially for its role in the establishment of a state-of-the-art cardiac surgery unit equipped with cutting-edge technology.

He also highlighted the role of the many highly skilled and qualified medical professionals who time and again over the past two decades have used their vacation time to provide comprehensive care for Jamaican children suffering from various cardiac conditions.

“The stories of hope and recovery that have emerged from our cardiac surgery unit are a testament to the incredible impact you have made. We are deeply honoured to have you standing beside us in this noble endeavour,” he declared.

Emma Scanlan, CEO of Chain of Hope UK, spoke to the contribution of sponsors who provided funding for construction of the cardiac surgery unit, which continues to make a major difference in healthcare service delivery.

“We’ve had a long relationship with Jamaica, which spans a total of 26 years in total, treating over 900 patients thanks to Shaggy and Friends, Digicel, Sagicor, Rotary International, Gift of Life International. Thank you all and our many other donors. Since you help fund the building and the equipment, you should know that 400 children have received help and treatment,” said Scanlan.

“You are providing a service for the 400 children that are born every year in this country with a heart defect. Sometimes it may seem hard, and there are many challenges, but keep on keeping on because the next generation of cardiac surgeons and cardiologists need you to lead the way, like an older sibling, so that all the children in Jamaica that need a cardiac intervention will receive the help that they need,” she urged.