KPH surgery schedule hit by air-conditioning failure

Kingston Public Hospital is under pressure to bring its central air-conditioning system back into service after a malfunction disrupted surgical operations and forced changes to some scheduled procedures.

The South East Regional Health Authority said the fault has affected operating theatre conditions, leaving only two major operating rooms in use while repairs continue. KPH chief executive officer Dwayne Francis said the system is more than 50 years old and has been giving repeated trouble for months, with contractors encountering fresh issues during repair work.

Francis said proper temperature and air quality inside operating theatres are essential for patient safety, infection prevention and clinical standards. He said some elective cases are being moved, while urgent and critical surgeries are being prioritised.

The hospital is also awaiting imported parts, including HEPA filters, because the needed components are not available locally. SERHA apologised to patients and said it is working with contractors to restore more normal operations as quickly as possible, with hopes of seeing improvement over the next two weeks.

In St. Mary, Port Maria Mayor Fitzroy Wilson faced criticism after a confrontation with a resident during cleanup activities in the town. Wilson said drain cleaning and sanitising work had started ahead of the hurricane season, but a video circulated online after a resident questioned the state of roads in the parish. When contacted, the mayor said he was in a meeting.

Environment Minister Matthew Samuda also warned that improper wastewater disposal is threatening Jamaica’s groundwater. Speaking at the Rotaract District 7020 conference, he said backyard pits used for sewage and wastewater can allow nitrates to enter underground water sources, especially in coastal towns such as Falmouth, Port Maria and Ocho Rios, where water tables are high.

Samuda said contaminated groundwater is difficult to recover and can affect drinking water, commerce, tourism and wider development. He pointed to the planned divestment and upgrade of the Soapberry wastewater treatment plant, which is expected to double capacity and move the facility from secondary to tertiary treatment.