After a massive renovation exercise, all services at the Chapelton Community Hospital (CCH), except admissions are now back to normal, but a shortage of nurses remain a headache.
The overall cost of refurbishment was $309 million. Work began in 2019, but was halted temporarily due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. The project was funded by Ms. Beverly Nichols, a Jamaican-born philanthropistentrepreneur now resident in New York; the Culture, Health, Art, Sports, and Education (CHASE) Fund and the National Health Fund (NHF).
The hospital now offers 24-hour service including oral health, maternity care, curative and pharmacy, but the facility has been challenged by a shortage of nurses. This is a global shortage that has left the Jamaican health sector grappling with a mass migration of nurses to the USA and the UK in search of better pay.
The CCH, which was re-opened in 2022, needs 12 nurses but now has seven. There is ongoing recruitment but applicants are hesitant to make the long commute from May Pen to Chapelton.
Regional Director, Michael Bent says the Southern Regional Health Authority (SRHA) is determined to grow the staff while improving the infrastructure. But, long-term medical care cannot be offered until the staff shortages are filled.
“We now have enough doctors at the hospital—a total of six versus the two we had before the closure—thereby strengthening our medical services, and we offer overnight observation if needed. The maternity ward is now being renovated and will be completed in another two
months. When emergencies come in, they are seen by the doctor and transferred to May Pen Hospital by the ambulance which is permanently available there,” Bent said.
Dental services are also significantly improved with one full- time and one part-time dentist who, with their support team are offering significantly improved services. There are plans afoot to offer dental X-Rays at the facility in the near future. Bent says plans are far advanced to refurbish staff accommodation with a view to making it more attractive to prospective employees.