This is about helping to improve conditions at Jamaica's oldest medical institution... that has has unfortunately not been properly maintained over the years, mainly due to budget constraints...
The Kingston Public Hospital is a type A multidisciplinary acute care hospital with a bed capacity of 1000. This 200+ year old public medical institution serves the mainly the South East Regional Health Authority and, in addition, it is the referral institution for the hospitals and health agencies in the remaining three Regional Health Authorities. The Kingston Public Hospital with its counterparts, the University Hospital of the West Indies and the Cornwall Regional Hospital provide comprehensive secondary and tertiary health care service to Jamaica and some other countries in the Caribbean. Founded in 1776, and serves 67 per cent of the health population of the country with services including radiology, physiotherapy, radiotherapy, orthopedics, general and specialized surgeries. About 3,500 patients per day with limited staff. Patient visits climb by 30 per cent each year.
70,000 persons utilize accident and emergency services each year. Associated facility: Victoria Jubilee Hospital - the largest maternity hospital in the English-speaking Caribbean, is referred to as the birthplace of the nation, with some 2,000 patients visiting per day. KPH is Jamaica's major referral facility, recognized by local medical professionals as the nation's high seat of medicine, Recognized as the best training institution for medical professionals (doctors, nurses and other healthcare areas). Historically, public institutional medicine was first established in Jamaica with the opening of the Kingston Public Hospital on December 14, 1776. The hospital was originally located at the corner of East and North Streets where the land with a small hospital for slaves was converted into a male hospital, and an old slave yard converted into a female ward. The property was purchased for ₤800 and another ₤1,000 was granted by the government for the maintenance of the institution. The site of the Kingston Public Hospital was regarded as unfavorable from the time of its establishment as it was intersected by streets and lanes. Maintenance soon became a burden to the Government and by 1778 the annual provision of ₤1,000 was reduced by 50 per cent (50%) to five hundred pounds and a special tax was levied on every ship entering Kingston Harbour to provide for its financing. Another grant of One Thousand Four Hundred and Fifty Six pounds, Eight Shillings and two-pence (₤1,456.82) was made to rebuild the hospital in 1784, after it was destroyed by a hurricane.
