MANCHIONEAL, Portland — The Government is ready to work with private investors to put in place health services that match Portland’s unique needs, according to Health and Wellness…
MANCHIONEAL, Portland — The Government is ready to work with private investors to put in place health services that match Portland’s unique needs, according to Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton. He stressed the need for a venture that can complement the low-density, highnet- worth tourism and residential units that are being built-out within the parish. “I’m recommending that we look at an urgent-care facility in this parish.
The Government is prepared to sit with that investor, once they have the resources and the vision, to say how we can build out that facility,” the minister said last Thursday during an interactive session with residents of Manchioneal where he was officially re-opening Katus Blakey Dental Clinic. He explained that such a facility would mean longer opening hours, access to doctors, nurses, critical diagnostic services, renal care for people who need dialysis, and an operating theatre where emergency surgery would be available.
“We believe that the combination of public and private is critical to the most effective health care, and that the future of this parish will find people who can afford and are willing to pay — and indeed would be attracted to come if those types of facilities are available,” Tufton said. The Katus Blakey Dental Clinic got a $13.7-million upgrade to repair damage done by Hurricane Melissa in October 2025. It was one of two medical facilities refurbished in Portland Eastern.
The other, Fellowship Community Health Centre, is slated to be officially reopened at a later date. “The improvements of both facilities, combined, equates to about $31 million and that is provided under Operation Refresh, which is funded by the National Health Fund,” the health minister explained. Work on the health centre included roof repairs and waterproofing, electrical upgrades, improved lighting and ventilation, as well as renovations to the reception area, kitchen, and restrooms.
Windows and doors were also replaced and improvements made to the facility’s fencing and external areas. The upgrades addressed longstanding infrastructure concerns, including roof leaks, water damage and inadequate separation of clinical and waiting areas. The Fellowship health centre provides a range of primary healthcare services, including maternal and child health, family planning, nutrition and immunisation. It serves 30 to 35 patients daily, with attendance increasing during school medical exercises. The upgrades cost $17.2 million.
This is a source-linked briefing. Read the original report from Jamaica Observer .