the retrofitting by PAHO,” Bissett said. WAITING FOR THE CALM AFTER THE STORM In the days following the hurricane, the fully retrofitted St Ann’s Bay Hospital, located on the north coast, became a critical lifeline in the area. The hurricane caused only minor damage to the hospital’s structure, and the majority of services remained safe and operational. Storm surge flooding led the hospital to close a 25-patient overflow ward and the dietary ward, which is responsible for providing meals to patients. Already a busy regional facility, St Ann’s Bay Hospital is now operating above capacity as storm-damaged hospitals across the island redirect patients. With the devastation to Falmouth public hospital and others functioning at reduced levels, St Ann’s Bay has absorbed a surge of transfers while still caring for its usual caseload. Despite the sustained gales of 185mph, the Mandeville Comprehensive Health Centre, located in Manchester, also kept its doors open to a community reeling from the disaster. Built to withstand Category 3 hurricane wind forces, the health center roof stayed intact, and the facility showed no visible structural impacts in the face of the Category 5 storm. The solar panels were undamaged, permitting the clinic to access a power supply and continue providing care throughout the emergency. “Jamaica, like other Caribbean countries, is at risk for severe impacts from disasters, including hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, and new and emerging diseases, which have been observed with increasing scale and frequency in the region over the last decade,” explains Ian Stein, PAHO’s country representative in Jamaica.“Resilient health systems start with resilient facilities. By investing in Smart Hospitals, we can safeguard the continuity of care, even in the worst emergencies.” A MODEL FOR CLIMATE-RESILIENT HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE The Smart Hospital model, which builds on the flagship Safe Hospital Initiative and incorporates green technologies to strengthen energy self-sufficiency and reduce health carbon footprint, was first piloted in 2012 in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and in Saint Kitts and Nevis. Since then, it has grown into one of PAHO’s most successful regional partnerships. Dr Marion Bullock DuCasse, who works for PAHO in Health Emergencies in the Caribbean, oversaw the coordination of the Smart Hospitals initiative in Jamaica. “By evaluating and upgrading structural, non-structural, functional, and green components, we strengthened the ability of these facilities to withstand major disasters,” she explained.“Hurricanes Beryl (2024) and Melissa have proven how Smart retrofitting helps keep essential care available for communities when it is needed most.” In the Caribbean, a total of 62 Smart health facilities have benefitted from smart retrofitting interventions in Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, with financial support from UK Aid, the European Union, and the International Development Bank (IDB). Its success has become a benchmark for protecting lives in a changing climate. Building on the successful experience in the Caribbean, PAHO is now working to expand the Smart Hospitals initiative in the region, beginning with the adaptation of its tools to other areas of the Americas. 10 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN VOLUME 12, ISSUE 11
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