Source: www.caribbeannewsglobal.com, News Editor, First Published Nov 21st, 2025 When hurricane Melissa hit Jamaica with catastrophic force on October 28, Category 5 winds and storm surge tested the island’s capacity to endure and recover, including the robustness of its health facilities. In the aftermath, more than 450,000 people remained without electricity, and roughly 75 percent of the hospitals and clinics in the affected areas sustained major damage and were rendered inoperable. Amid the wreckage and floods, three health facilities in the hurricane’s path stood out among the rest: The Mandeville Comprehensive Health Centre, the Santa Cruz Health Centre, and St Ann’s Bay Hospital. Each of the three facilities had received significant structural and resilience upgrades, including roof repairs or replacements, hurricane-rated windows and doors, and backup systems for energy and water, such as solar panels, generators, and rainwater-harvesting capacity. The improvements were carried out under the Smart Hospitals Initiative, implemented by PAHO in collaboration with Jamaica’s ministry of health and with funding from the United Kingdom. Over the last five years, 12 health facilities in Jamaica have been retrofitted to varying degrees—including four Smart Hospitals fully upgraded to gold standards and eight that received small to medium interventions. “NO ORDINARY HURRICANE” It took six days after the passage of Melissa for the Santa Cruz Health Centre to reopen, but the delay had nothing to do with the facility, which is located in the St Elizabeth Parish, not far from where the hurricane made landfall. “Before anything, let me tell you that this was no ordinary hurricane,” explains Sean Brissett, the manager of health services in St Elizabeth. “All of our roads were blocked. We were totally inundated.” When health workers finally arrived on Monday, November 3, remarkably, the facility that serves a population of SMART HOSPITALS IN JAMAICA DEMONSTRATE HEALTH SYSTEM RESILIENCE 20,000 showed little wear and tear.They used the back-up generator for power and opened doors to the public.The hurricane made the health center’s water supply system inoperable, so they relied on the water tanks installed under the Smart Hospitals program. “You could never predict it, but the rainwater tanks were key to staying open, for washing hands, for patients, for bathrooms,” Bissett said. Right away, the health facility was able to treat the injuries of people who had been sheltering in place for the past week. It continued providing routine services, including pre and postnatal care for expecting mothers as well as dental services.This capacity became increasingly important as hospitals in the area directed patients to Santa Cruz. “We were all surprised to see the damage by the hurricane, but this health center stood strong, thanks to 9 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN VOLUME 12, ISSUE 11 OPENING LINES
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