According to JIS in Jamaica, Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller, the island will construct a new $200 million dollar hospital. She made her announcement and showed her appreciation to Spain’s Hospiten Group which will construct the highly technological and specialized hospital at Cinnamon Hill, Rose Hall in St James. The PM and the Hospiten group made their disclosure at a ceremony at the Montego Bay Convention Centre.
The new hospital will provide full medical services, and will be equipped with an image diagnosis centre, a surgical block, an intensive care unit (ICU), a clinical analysis lab, a 24/7 emergency room, and 22 hospitalization rooms, according to reports from the Jamaica Information Service (JIS).
“The decision by the Hospiten Group to commence construction of this highly specialised general hospital in the heart of Jamaica’s tourism industry comes at a time of improving economic stability, supported by positive ratings by the international rating agencies. This investment represents a tangible outcome of Jamaica’s tourism master plan and the work of successive governments,” Simpson Miller said. The medical facility is expected to provide services for residents of the North Coast area, as well as for visitors to the island and will include the construction of the 16-room, 28 bed facility. The construction is expected to start in the latter half of 2015.
| “I want to commend the ambassador, the chairman of this group and his son, for having the business foresight to locate this catalytic project here in Montego Bay, Jamaica,” the prime minister told the audience. |
Jamaican residents will also benefit
“Hospiten will establish 11 nursing stations in hotels along the North Coast as well as a clinic at the new Falmouth Pier and at the Ocho Rios Crew Ship Port. These are very sound investment decisions which demonstrate Spanish vision, ingenuity and enterprising breaking into this new and exciting frontier for Jamaica’s tourism industry,” she outlined.
Simpson Miller also expressed appreciation to the government of Spain, represented by Ambassador Celsa Nuno for his support for the Project while graciously expressing her gratitude as a “grateful investment partner” on behalf of the Government of Jamaica.
Meanwhile, head of the Spanish delegation Dr Pedro Luis Cobiella said that the project has been designed to create some 300 direct jobs during construction and more than 300 when it is completed.
She added that the primary target market for the investment was the tourists in the resort areas encompassing Montego Bay, Ocho Rios and Negril, but that Hospiten has decided to extend the same quality of medical services to Jamaican residents.
