Rededication of the
Spanish Town Hospital Pharmacy
PP George Beckford
February 2006
The present site of the Spanish
Town General Hospital was built in 1952. For 30 years there was no significant
addition or improvement to the physical infrastructure. Even though there was
the mushrooming of satellite residential communities such as Ensom City,
Greendale, Willowdene, Sydenham and emergence of the Portmore region just to
name a few. During this time we also saw the building of the Spanish Town dual
carriageway (now Mandela Highway) linking the Old Capital with city Kingston and
the current bypass which bisected the outer corridor of the immediate town to
ease the traffic congestion which enveloped and strangulated its commercial and
social life.
These developments brought
numerous challenges to the leaders of the state and the town. Spanish Town was,
and still is, the main corridor for vehicular traffic, linking the north coast,
the central and western sections of the island. Wherever there are expansive
roadways, heavy use by vehicular traffic inevitably, there will be accidents;
fatalities and traumas.
The Kiwanis Club of Spanish Town
in 1981 under then President Norman Laing conceptualized the idea of
constructing “an Emergency Ward” on the property of the hospital – this was to
be our contribution in alleviating the numerous problems being experienced by
the overcrowding inadequate equipment in the Casualty Department. The estimated
cost to put up this building was $230,000.00 most of which was to be acquired by
way of contributions and fundraising projects.
Dr. Patrick Knight S.M.O. and
senior Matron Tadeline Reid were delighted at the concept and joined forces with
the club in convincing the Hospital’s Board of Management and the Ministry of
Health of the dire need for such a facility. Mr. Desmond “Jimmy” Hall, an
architect, designed the project. The Club embarked on numerous fundraising
ventures such as “Raffle”’ “Buy a Block Drive and calypso hops” to the major
towns of the country accompanied by off duty nurses and wailing ambulances.
In 1982 we broke ground for the
erection of this building. This was made possible by charter member, the late
Lloyd James Burke, a contractor who advanced his own funds and other resources
to single handedly take the project to roof height. The building project
stagnated for another five years due to inflation, progressive devaluation of
our currency and a receding economy.
We persevered and completed the
project in 1987 with the help of friends and corporate entities. One special
benefactor, Mr. Winston Hoo, deserves special mention as he guided us tangibly
to its completion. The structure was officially handed over to the Ministry of
Health by our president at that time, the late D.P. Reg Innerarity.
The final cost of the building
was J$1.2m. Unfortunately, by this time the Ministry had designed a ten-year
development plan for the hospital region and the original concept for this
building was changed. For three years the building laid idle until 1990 when it
was commissioned to serve as pharmacy and pharmaceutical warehouse.
The Pharmacy now serves the
public on an average:
Out – patient
2819 - per month
In – patient
1566 - per month
Today, provides the opportunity
for the Kiwanis Club of Spanish Town to indelibly stamp its name to this
monument as a worthwhile testament of service to this community.
For More Information Contact:
Kiwanis Club of Spanish Town
P.O. Box 507, Spanish Town, St. Catherine, Jamaica, W.I,
Email:
[email protected]
Kiwanis Club of Spanish Town 
