Several major initiatives were undertaken to improve ser-vice delivery to citizens.
Notable were the upgrading of infirmaries, bolstering of the country’s firefighting capacity, rehabilitation of parochial roads and the construction of water shops to ease water shortage.
POOR RELIEF DEPARTMENT
(Infirmaries, Indigent Housing)
• Over $700 million is being spent by the Government to upgrade infirmaries and to expand social programmes at the facilities.
• The National Health Fund (NHF) donated 12 new autoclaves, valued at $9.3 million, to infirmaries islandwide.
• Work commenced on a new $40-million female ward at the Manchester Infirmary, while ground was broken for the construction of a new $45 million new male ward at the Portland Infirmary.
• The Ministry is spending $16 million to build a new administrative office on the grounds of the infirmary in Santa Cruz, St. Elizabeth.
• $1.2 million was allocated to the Trelawny Poor Relief Department to undertake repairs under the Indigent Housing Programme.
• Seven studio units were handed over to elderly indigent persons at
Hatfield, Manchester; Lime Hall and Mile End in St. Ann; Palmer’s Cross and St. John, in Clarendon; and Point Hill, St. Catherine.
• Staff members of the Poor Relief Department and Councillors in St. Elizabeth were presented with computer tablets. The Department also received new computers and a printer to complement the mobile devices.
• Education grants totalling $1.5 million were provided to the Poor Relief Department of each Municipal Corporation in the 2019/2020 financial year by the Ministry.
• Ground was broken to construct a $140-million adult transitional facility in Kingston.