Ramble Clinic getting J$3million upgrade

Western Bureau:

The Ramble Health Centre in Ramble, Hanover, is now being upgraded at a cost of J$3 million. This is designed to improve the quality of service to the 6,000 outpatients who look to the clinic for primary health care.

The upgrade, which is being undertaken by the National Health Fund (NHF) and supported by residents, started earlier this month and should be completed in a matter of weeks.

"The NHF provides small grants to assist health centres improve their facilities to make them more comfortable for clients and health workers," said Marsha Sellers, the NHF's health promotions coordinator.

"The funds provided by the NHF are spent on material and labour, and the community served by the health centre supports the effort to ensure the timely completion so as not to inconvenience clients and staff."

The scope of work to be done includes the repainting of the building, termite control, replacing broken and malfunctioning toilets and other plumbing fixtures, as well as replacing damaged electrical fixtures.

The storage capacity of the centre is also poised for some much-needed improvement as the old cupboards, which store medical supplies, will be demolished and replaced with new ones. Repair work will also be done on the doors and door frames.

Tashalee Clarke, the administration manager of primary health care in Hanover, said that the clinic offers a range of medical services to persons from as far away as Anchovy in St James and Mt Peto in Westmoreland.

"The Ramble Health Centre offers curative, medical, and dental clinics, maternal and child-health clinics, and based on its location, it is central for persons living as far as Anchovy in the east and Mount Peto to the west," said Clarke. "A medical doctor serves at the health centre one day per week, but several clinics operate on all weekdays except public holidays, and when necessary, patients are referred to hospital for secondary care."

... Clinic repairs get councillor's thumbs up

The repair work being carried out at the Ramble Health Centre in Hanover has received the endorsement of Fearon DeCarish, councillor for the Chester Castle division in the Hanover Municipal Corporation.

DeCarish recently participated in one of the workdays at the clinic.

"The refurbishment is very timely and will be appreciated by the thousands who look to the centre for health care on a regular basis," he said.

The Ramble Health Centre is one of two health clinics in Eastern Hanover to benefit from the National Health Fund's Community Workday grant in recent times.

In August, the people of Maryland and surrounding areas turned out for a similar community workday to support the J$2 million that was invested in repair work at that clinic.