As of today (April 1), the Southeast Regional Health Authority SERHA will take over the management of the St. Joseph’s Hospital in St. Andrew.

The transfer follows a Cabinet approval in January 2021 for the Ministry of Health to handover the management of the facility to SERHA.

The regional health authority will be responsible for the management and operations of St. Joseph’s in keeping with the provisions of the National Health Services Act.

The Ministry says the transition of the hospital to SERHA is integral to its objective of delivering client-centered, efficient and accessible healthcare.

Accordingly, the St. Joseph’s Hospital will be re-developed as a centre of excellence in oncology and nephrology, operating as an extension of the Kingston Public Hospital.

This will see the phased relocation of certain oncology, nephrology, as well as ambulatory services from the Kingston Public Hospital to St. Joseph’s.

In the meantime, St. Joseph’s Hospital will continue to operate as a permanent Covid-19 vaccination site and there will be no impact on the delivery of radiotherapy services at the National Cancer Treatment Centre located on the hospital compound.

The hospital will also continue to provide urgent care or casualty services.