Prime Minister Andrew Holness issued a stern warning to criminals, cautioning them to stay away from a significant infrastructural undertaking set to commence in the violence-prone Spanish Town business district. The ambitious transformation of the 73-year-old Spanish Town Hospital in St. Catherine, estimated at a multi-billion-dollar investment, is scheduled to unfold over 24 months. During the contract signing and groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday, Prime Minister Holness emphasized a zero-tolerance policy towards gang-related disputes over construction jobs at the site. Citing past incidents where criminal elements infiltrated both government and private projects across the island, he assured the deployment of the Jamaica Constabulary and Defence Forces to maintain security during the project.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister credited the government’s sound fiscal management, coupled with a USD 50 million loan from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), support from the European Union, and a GBP 10 million grant from the same, for enabling such a significant infrastructural initiative. He highlighted these financial contributions as key pillars supporting Jamaica’s steady progress in strengthening its infrastructural foundation. The redevelopment of the Spanish Town Hospital is being hailed by stakeholders as a rebirth, promising a six-story building, state-of-the-art operating theaters, and a new accident and emergency ward space. As the nation steadily fortifies its infrastructural standing, the Prime Minister expressed confidence in the positive impact this transformation would have on healthcare services in the region.

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