May Pen Hospital to be upgraded MAY PEN, Clarendon:
CHIEF EXECUTIVE Officer (CEO) of the May Pen Hospital, Canute Thompson, says the health care facility is to be upgraded from a Type C to a Type B institution by August.
This means that the hospital will have the necessary equipment and staff to receive and accept more referrals of patients and refer fewer cases to other hospitals.
Mr. Thompson said the hospital was currently an 86-bed institution but would have 150 beds with the opening of additional wards.
"We currently have two wards which have been unoccupied since the new hospital opened, these will now be commissioned into service to facilitate the expansion process," he said.
"With the expansion/upgrading we will be bringing on board two consultants, one for obstetrics and gynaecology as well as one for paediatrics," he added.
The CEO said the hospital now enjoyed an occupancy level of 80 to 90 per cent, noting that the rate of fee collection stood at about 60 to 65 per cent of what was billed.
"The fees charged represents approximately 10 per cent of the actual cost of providing the service," he disclosed.
However, he added, although the collection of fees was important to the operation of the institution no one needing medical care is turned away because of inability to pay. He encouraged all those persons who could afford to pay to do so.
The new May Pen Hospital was opened some three and a half years ago.
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