St Kitts: The Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis, Dr Terrance Drew, who is the Minister of Health was present at the unveiling of the 3D designs for the Joseph Nathaniel France (JNF) General Hospital climate Smart Hospital. The new designs seek to make the establishment more accommodating and modern.
JNF General Hospital, being the primary healthcare institution of St Kitts and Nevis has been on the radar for upgrades. The Prime Minister, Dr Drew shared that the facility would be an institution is fit for purpose.
He wants to make sure that modern healthcare ca be delivered to the people of the country. The nation, according to Dr Drew, is accustomed to be the leaders in healthcare when it comes to the Caribbean.
He and his team at the Ministry of Health want to maintain that standard of leadership, which is why the upgrades in the facility were taken up by the administration. The project, was delivered to the people with the belief that healthcare is a right and not a privilege.
The Prime Minister added that they are committed to delivering a facility that would serve the people of St Kitts and Nevis. He also noted that the major reason for the development and upgrades remains to deliver excellent healthcare. However, another equally crucial for the upgrade is climate resilience.
The Minister of Health highlighted that climate change is a reality that the nation needs to prepare for. He recalled that one of the fiercest hurricanes of the 2024 Hurricane Season, Hurricane Beryl not only formed early, but was also devastating.
The Prime Minister had visited St Vincent and The Grenadines, after the hurricane had passed. While there, Dr Drew observed that the island had a main hospital to transport all of their patients.
This got them to wonder, that they would have to make JNF General Hospital into a climate resilient structure which can withstand natural shocks like hurricanes.
The director of health institutions in the health ministry, Jenson Morton shared details of the new features being added to the hospital. He noted that the hospital will be climaee resilient, capable of withstanding natural forces.
Dr Morton was also proud to announce that the hospital will be technologically superior. He highlighted that the hospital will be aesthetically pleasant with the terrace garden.
The structure will include green elements such as solar panels, making it environmentally conducive. He has promised flexibility and capability for the in-patient units in the hospital, through medical planning.
Each ICU bed and High Dependency Bed will be given single occupancy rooms within the structure. He promised that dispersed nursing stations will be provided for 1 on 1 monitoring.
The patients will be accommodated single acute care inpatient rooms and twin-sharing inpatient rooms. Director Jenson Morton said that acute care impatient rooms will not be shared by 4 or 6 patients in a bay style setting.
Maternity unit, antenatal postpartum rooms will also be available for single occupancy for the comfort of the patients. The hospital promises to offer facilities like Cardiology, dermatology, ENT clinic, cardiothoracic surgery, mammography, and more.