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Dr. Christopher Tufton
Spanish Town Hospital in St. Catherine recorded the highest number of surgeries in Jamaica during the first quarter of this year.
Data provided by the Ministry of Health show that 1,145 surgeries were conducted at the type B facility for the period January to March.
The figure was contained in the Ministry's second quarterly report released on Thursday.
The report also revealed that the St. Catherine-based facility recorded the highest number of major surgeries, a total of 932; and emergency surgeries, which numbered 673.
Kingston Public Hospital, a type A facility, recorded 1,065 surgeries for the period under review.
Health Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton said this brings into sharp focus the urgent need to upgrade Spanish Town Hospital to a type A facility.
Dr. Tufton said work is under way to complete the negotiations for an expansion and upgrade of the facility, as a contract has been signed and a team is expected to arrive next week to continue discussions.
"That work is going to pave the way for a determination on what needs to be done but in a coordinated way, so that we look at the entire system and don't duplicate, (but) rather compliment any changes that are to take place," he said.
A total of 8,907 surgeries were conducted in public hospitals for the first quarter of the year.
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