Contractor delays challenge timeline for Western children’s hospital as staffing plans advance
Published:Sunday | February 8, 2026 | 1:40 PM
Despite contractor-related delays, the Western Children and Adolescent Hospital remains targeted for completion and phased opening this calendar year, Health and Wellness Minister Christopher Tufton has said.
Addressing questions at a media briefing in Montego Bay, St James, Tufton said the challenges facing the children’s facility are distinct from those at Cornwall Regional Hospital, where delays were largely due to a major re-scoping of works.
At the children’s hospital, he said, progress has been affected primarily by contractor downtime.
“The facility is a gift of the Chinese Government. The contractor arrangements are within that corridor, so our control is more about encouragement, engagement, and partnership than direct management,” he said.
The minister added that construction activity is expected to intensify in the coming weeks, with additional workers returning to the site after the Chinese New Year period.
He said the Government continues to press for faster progress while maintaining the goal of opening the hospital this year.
Beyond construction, Tufton highlighted staffing as one of the biggest challenges facing the project.
He said the hospital will ultimately require more than 1,000 healthcare workers, though services will be introduced in phases rather than at full capacity from day one.
“Starting up a new hospital is a major undertaking,” Tufton said, noting that Jamaica has not opened a new hospital of this scale in decades. “We will begin with a subset of staff and services and build from there.”
He added that key leadership roles, including chief executive officer, senior medical officer, and head of human resources, have already been filled. Recruitment is under way both locally and internationally to address gaps in specialised healthcare skills.
Tufton also noted that paediatric staff currently based at Cornwall Regional Hospital will be integrated into the children’s hospital once operations begin, providing an initial workforce as services are phased in.
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