KINGSTON, Jamaica. Thursday, April 13, 2023: The Bustamante Hospital for Children (BHC) will be celebrating its 60th anniversary of providing quality healthcare to the nation’s children and, by extension, to the children of the Caribbean region. The hospital was officially opened on November 6, 1963, by the Honourable Gladys Maud Bustamante, O.J., J.P., wife of Jamaica’s first Prime Minister, Sir Alexander Bustamante, after whom the hospital is named. The facility has the distinction of being the only specialist paediatric hospital in the English-speaking Caribbean.
The Bustamante Hospital for Children will stage a year-long calendar of activities leading up to the 60th anniversary date on Monday, November 6, 2023, which will include a church service, an open day and health fair, a sports day, the Dr. Leila Wynter commemorative conference, and a staff award ceremony where scores of workers will be recognized for their contributions. The Hospital is expected to see some upgrade in its infrastructure as well.
During his main address at the press launch held today, (April 13, 2023) to commemorate the Bustamante Hospital for Children 60th anniversary celebrations, the Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton (back row 4th from left), said that the government of Jamaica is planning for the next 60 years and the hospital is poised for further expansion under a multimillion-dollar redevelopment master plan to include improvement to its ICT infrastructure.
Minister Tufton further explained that the plan will also entails expansion of ward space at the hospital to provide additional beds and further upgrades to its services including the animal-assisted recovery and care programme.
Additionally, work has commenced for the construction of the paediatric cardiac ward and overnight parent suite, which will provide accommodation for persons, particularly those travelling over long distances to the hospital with their children. This project is being funded by the National Housing Trust and the National Health Fund.
Mr. Errol Greene (back row from left), Regional Director, SERHA, said that BHC has been on a journey to provide world-class services to the nation’s children. He added that the staff has a strong commitment to continued excellence and is relentless in its pursuit of this mission.
Mr. Anthony Wood (second from right), Chief Executive Officer, BHC, said that he is satisfied with the “accomplishments made by the hospital, which has significantly impacted many lives for the past 60 years. The BHC team is confidence that we will continue to play a significant role in the health and well-being of the Jamaican children.”
The Hospital has a bed capacity of 279, including a five-bed Intensive Care Unit that provides critical care services to critically ill patients. The Accident and Emergency Department operates on a twenty-four-hour basis and sees approximately 50,000 patients per year. In addition, specialist clinics are held five days per week in the outpatient department, with approximately 35,000 clinic visits annually.
Among the services offered are anesthesiology, cardiology, neurology, child mental health, cardiology, cardiothoracic surgery, dermatology, paediatric surgery, paediatric urology, orthopedics, physiotherapy, ears, nose, and throat, dental, pulmonology, radiology, ophthalmology, hematology and oncology. The Hospital also has a burn unit.
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