Funds from CHASE to cure Manchester health clinic’s upgrade delays

The planned $58-million refurbishment of the Cross Keys Full Service Health Clinic in Manchester under the Ministry of Health and Wellness’ Operation Refresh programme has been hit by funding challenges, delaying completion and disrupting activities at the community centre where services are currently being provided.

Operation Refresh is a national initiative aimed at restoring government-run health centres islandwide to make them more attractive and encourage greater community participation and support.

The upgrade was initially announced by the Ministry of Health and Wellness and then Member of Parliament Robert Chin during his contribution to the 2023-2024 State of the Constituency Debate. However, in the 2024-2025 Sectoral Debate, Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton said the initiative is expected to cost J$1.08 billion over 18 months, as the Government seeks to improve the look, feel and functionality of select health centres across the country.

Renovation work at the Cross Keys facility began in early 2024 and was originally scheduled for completion in October 2024. However, the building remains under construction, and a recent visit by The Gleaner found the site inactive, with construction materials still on the grounds. The exterior of the building shows visible upgrades, including modern clean lines, new windows and fresh paint.

Due to the works, health services were temporarily relocated to the community centre, secured through the Cross Keys Area Development Committee.

Vice-Chairman of the committee, Bobzie Allen, along with Chairman Smedley Reid, facilitated the arrangement to allow the clinic to continue operating while repairs were carried out.

“Occupation should have ended [in] October 2024,” Allen said.

“They would want to occupy the building for at least six months for significant repairs to the roof and other areas. Periodically, they would have spoken to the committee about the work and the delay, and they would have said to us that they were hoping that up top would have been finished, so that they could move back to that location. So there's always that dialogue. And there's always that good relationship between us and them,” he told The Gleaner.

The temporary relocation has, however, resulted in the clinic occupying more space than was available at its original location. The retrofitted community centre now accommodates up to seven or eight doctors at a time — a significant increase from the previous capacity of one doctor at the old facility.

As a result, even busy clinic days, typically Mondays, are completed more efficiently, allowing patients to also access medication from the mobile pharmacy.

Allen said that, while there have been complaints about the use of space, the improved service has been a positive result.

An interested party familiar with the operations said most health service providers have adapted well to the current arrangement, noting that individual office spaces now allow clinicians to work more effectively.

“The doctors and nurses work very hard, and they have space to do it and treat the many cases we have here. Only dental service is not offered, because the electricity supply at the centre is not strong enough to operate the dental machinery plus the other machines,” the source said.

Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton, responding to questions from The Gleaner, said funding delays contributed to the setbacks.

“This facility is being renovated under the maintenance project; however, the funding was not forthcoming to complete it before, hence delays. We had to utilise some of our budget funds to advance the work which was started. Eventually, we got some funding from CHASE Fund in March this year to complete the project,” he said.

Addressing concerns about space, the minister said additional capacity was created through the conversion of an old residential structure on the property.

“We renovated and converted an old three-bedroom staff cottage and annexed it to the original health centre. This will provide additional spaces for at least three to four clinicians. We also reoriented the original building to provide better and more efficient patient and service flow,” Tufton said.

He further noted that the property would be fenced and that water storage capacity had been increased, as the facility currently depends on a storage tank for supply.

The minister also said the Government has spent more than $3.5 billion on health centre upgrades over the past five years. More than 100 clinics and health centres have been targeted for refurbishment, though some plans were adjusted following the impact of Hurricane Melissa in western Jamaica last year.

He added that nearly $150 million was allocated for upgrades to the Mandeville Health Centre, bringing combined expenditure with Cross Keys to more than $200 million. The Pratville clinic was also closed for repairs, with residents redirected to the Newport and Cross Keys health centres. It was not immediately clear whether the Pratville facility has since been satisfactorily restored.

Meanwhile, the extended relocation has disrupted several community activities previously hosted at the centre, affecting schools, churches and training programmes.

“Meetings of various kinds, from whoever or whatever grouping. And all that had to be suspended, because the interior of the building is sheared up in many small blocks to accommodate the doctors and nurses. So, we had to be explaining to the people when they had a convention — like, people from overseas would come — and functions for PEP (Primary Exit Profile) examinations students… ,” Allen said.

The nearby HEART-certified computer programme in Newport was also forced to shut down its operations at the centre. Sixteen computers previously used for training are now in storage, while summer programmes have been relocated to New Broughton Primary School. A banana chips manufacturing operation was also suspended following Hurricane Beryl’s damage to the banana industry.

Despite the disruption, Allen said he expects the summer programme to resume in August. He also acknowledged discussions about keeping the clinic at its current location, but said that was beyond the committee’s authority.

“Those are ‘bigger people’ talk,” he said.

“We have not heard anything from the ministry. But a Ms Chambers [from the health committee] is in constant rapport with the committee, and from time to time we will be up to date as to the happenings. Nobody not quarrelling, because it is offering service. It is providing more doctors, and people are getting served quicker. But the concern is, [there is] no timeline on when they will vacate,” he added.

The ministry said the Operation Refresh programme was launched amid ongoing concerns about deteriorating health infrastructure. It has also established a $1-billion Health Infrastructure Maintenance Fund (HIMF) to support improvements across the system.

Tufton said the initiative is designed to improve public confidence in health facilities.

“Our aim is to ensure that every health centre and healthcare worker generate confidence in our citizens to visit these facilities, rather than bypass them for the hospital in the town square,” he said.

“In support of this, we will be embarking on a J$1.08-billion programme over the next 18 months to enhance the look, feel and utility of select health centres across the country as part of the mindset or transformation we are seeking in every Jamaican citizen,” he added. [email protected]