Chapelton Community Hospital Now Reopened after Major Renovations
The Andrew Holness-led Administration is committed to changing Jamaica’s healthcare sector by increasing investments in critical infrastructure and encouraging citizens to take personal responsibility for their health
Residents of Chapelton, Clarendon and neighbouring communities will no longer have to travel to the May Pen Hospital to receive health care as the Chapelton Community Hospital is now open after it was closed in 2019 to facilitate extensive renovations.
The Chapelton Community Hospital, formerly known as the Chapelton Hospital serves Chapelton and several surrounding communities including Summerfield, Beckford Kraal, Thompson Town, Mocho, Frankfield, Kellits, Crofts Hill, Nine Turns, Effort, Smithville, Blackwoods and other communities.
Speaking at the reopening ceremony yesterday (December 6, 2022) the Prime Minister expressed satisfaction at the completion of the renovations and said the impact on the communities served by the hospital will be particularly significant.
In encouraging users to utilize the facility to look after their health, and to practice lifestyle activities that support good health, Prime Minister Andrew Holness noted that Jamaicans need a social and cultural transformation in relation to our view of health. He said there are many culturally ingrained practices that have been detrimental to our health, with many associating prosperity with overindulgence in food which leads to dramatic weight gain and ultimately obesity accompanied by chronic lifestyle diseases.
The Prime Minister said, “It’s important that the next generation of Jamaicans coming, and the current generation of Jamaicans who are with us, now understand that the solution is not just the hospital, the solution is to avoid the hospital by being healthy. We are, and we were the pioneer of primary health care, putting people into the communities to educate citizens on better health practices in their daily life. We have not enhanced the model as much as we should, and we have not built hospitals as much as we should, but this administration is changing that; we are making massive investments in the health infrastructure.”
In this regard, Prime Minister Holness encouraged Jamaicans to take personal responsibility for their health by eating more fruits and vegetables and engaging in regular exercise.
In the meantime, the Prime Minister lauded Ms. Beverley Nichols, for her advocacy for the healthcare sector and in particular, the Chapelton Community Hospital. The Prime Minister said, “The Push-Start Foundation through Beverley donated USD 1 million. Beverley, I wanted to be here to say personally, publicly, loudly, and emphatically, thank you.”
The scope of work included: the renovation of the existing main building, the addition of a new 20-bed ward named in honour of Ms. Beverley Nichols, and a new pharmacy.
The 309 million JMD project was funded through Jamaican-born philanthropist and entrepreneur, Ms. Beverley Nichols, the Culture, Health, Art, Sports, and Education (CHASE) Fund, and the National Health Fund (NHF).
The newly renovated hospital also boasts a minor operating theatre, an air-conditioned waiting area, an ambulance bay, and free Wi-Fi.