Andrew Holness: No contracts for gang members
During the groundbreaking ceremony of redevelopment of the Spanish Town Hospital in St Catherine on 16 January, 2024, Prime Minister Andrew Holness issued a stern warning to potential extortionists who may be eyeing the renovation. He emphatically stated that none of such activities will take place.
OUR GENERANTION MUST BREAK THE CYCLE
Well, let me tell all the gang members who are licking their lips looking on at big fat contracts to come, NONE OF THAT WILL HAPPEN HERE! I want to say it loud and clear. This will be a military camp if it has to be. No extortion here. No illegal activity here. No controlling of sites here. None of this government funding here will fund criminals. Taxpayers money will not help to buy guns and build gangs.
“I want to make it unequivocally clear that no government funding will be diverted to support criminal activities or extortion. The hospital is solely dedicated to benefiting the community, and we are unwavering in our commitment to prevent any criminal interference. We are diligently working on anti-gang legislation to underscore this commitment, implementing strict measures to uphold the project’s integrity.”~Prime Andrew Holness.
The renovation project, valued at approximately J$5.5 billion, entails the transformation of medical services at the Spanish Town Hospital with the redevelopment of the 430-bed facility. This involves the construction of a state-of-the-art, six-storey building that spans over 17,000 square meters. Consequently, patient care delivery at the hospital will expand to include new services such as urology, oncology, cardiology, gastroenterology, ophthalmology, and psychiatry.
The facility will be fitted with innovative technology, including electronic access to patient medical records. The government of Jamaica is overseeing the hospital’s redevelopment, with financial backing from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). A total of US$148 million has been allocated to the Health Systems Strengthening Programme, of which the government has pledged US$87 million. The Spanish Town Hospital — acknowledged as the largest ‘type B’ institution on the island — is set to receive the most substantial investment in infrastructure.
In his remarks during the groundbreaking ceremony, Mr. Holness said he would work in collaboration with the Jamaica Defence Force and the Jamaica Constabulary Force to prevent illegal activities from happening at the renovation site. The new hospital’s construction will be supported by a US$50 million loan procured from the International Development Bank, as well as $11 million in grants from the European Union. The Jamaican government will also contribute an additional $40 million towards the project.