KPH Receives Three Retrofitted Containers for HIV Care

Photo Caption: N. Nick Perry (centre), United States Ambassador, cuts the ribbon during the handover of 20-foot containers and equipment to support HIV prevention, treatment, and care at KPH. Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOHW) holds ribbon to facilitate the ribbon cutting. Other observing from left are: Dr Robert Green, Medical Consultant; Dr Emily Kainne Dokudo, CDC Director, Jamaica and Caribbean Region Programme; and Dr Karen Webster-Kerr, Acting Chief Medical Officer, MOHW.

The Kingston Public Hospital (KPH) received three retrofitted 20-foot containers made possible by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), through the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, valued at over $9 million dollars. This new care facility at KPH will offer prevention, treatment and support services as part of Jamaica's national HIV programme.

Dr. the Hon Christopher Tufton, MP, Minister of Health and Wellness, received the donation during a handing-over ceremony with Nick Perry, United States Ambassador to Jamaica on Tuesday, October 25, 2022, at the facility.

“The handover from CDC will support the work of creating enabling environments for all persons seeking and accessing care. The facility will offer a private space for consultations. This we anticipate will enhance confidence in patient care and service delivery,” Tufton said. The new containers are to be used as three consultation rooms and waiting areas. The containers are being implemented to improve the hospital’s confidentiality and workflow in the hospital’s HIV clinic. The office has been fitted with furniture, filing cabinets and technology valued at around 1.5 million JMD.

The U.S CDC has provided over 600 million dollars worth of financial and technical support over the past three years as part of a joint agreement between the Ministry of Health and Wellness and the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

The HIV clinic at the Kingston Public Hospital is one of six sites providing HIV testing, and clinical and psychosocial services with support from the CDC through PEPFAR.