ST JAMES, Jamaica – Health Minister Dr Fenton Ferguson officially opened the Santa Cruz Health Centre of Excellence, in St Elizabeth on Friday November 29, and simultaneously broke ground for the start of phase two of the work to be done at the facility.
The Santa Cruz Health Centre of Excellence is the first of four such facilities to be officially opened, Dr Fergusson said. The other centres located at Darliston, in Westmoreland; Issac Barrant, in St Thomas; and Claremont, in St Ann, are now at varying stages of completion.
Dr Ferguson at the opening of the Santa Cruz facility
Dr Ferguson said that approximately J$25 million was spent to carry out the construction and refurbishing works in phase one, with $8 .2 million, of that amount used to provide new equipment for the upgraded facility.
He said that another $88 million will be spent in phase two, bringing the total investment to $113 million.
Funding for the project is being provided by the National Health Fund (NHF), for which the Health Minister expressed appreciation, adding that the Health Centres of Excellence forms part of the government’s strategic priority for human capital development.
“Health must not be seen just as a social good for a people, it must be seen also as a contributor to the national economy,” Dr Ferguson said adding that it is for this reason that health tourism will become a significant item on his agenda.
The Santa Cruz Health Centre of Excellence is the first of four such facilities to be officially opened, Dr Fergusson said. The other centres located at Darliston, in Westmoreland; Issac Barrant, in St Thomas; and Claremont, in St Ann, are now at varying stages of completion.
Dr Ferguson at the opening of the Santa Cruz facility
   Dr Ferguson at the opening of the Santa Cruz facility #slideshowtoggler, #slideshowtoggler a, #slideshowtoggler img {filter:none !important;zoom:normal !important}  1/1  |
He said that another $88 million will be spent in phase two, bringing the total investment to $113 million.
Funding for the project is being provided by the National Health Fund (NHF), for which the Health Minister expressed appreciation, adding that the Health Centres of Excellence forms part of the government’s strategic priority for human capital development.
“Health must not be seen just as a social good for a people, it must be seen also as a contributor to the national economy,” Dr Ferguson said adding that it is for this reason that health tourism will become a significant item on his agenda.