Victoria Jubilee Hospital in Kingston is reporting a decline in the number of children delivered at the nation’s primary maternity facility.
Senior medical officer, Dr Garth McDonald, says having more than one child is no longer the norm for Jamaican women.
Victoria Jubilee is the largest maternity hospital in the English-speaking Caribbean.
Historically, it delivered between 8,000 and 9,000 babies annually, earning it the reputation as the birthplace for generations of Jamaicans.
Meanwhile, Dr McDonald says plans are afoot to involve more fathers in the labour and childbirth experience.
Dr Garth McDonald, senior medical officer at Victoria Jubilee Hospital.
He was speaking at Nationwide This Morning’s health and wellness tour at the facility Friday morning.
In the meantime, senior medical officer at Kingston Public Hospital, KPH, Dr. Trevor Bygrave, says plans to increase the number of beds at the facility are eagerly anticipated.
Dr Trevor Bygrave, senior medical officer at KPH.
For his part, acting chief executive officer, Dwayne Francis, says the move to expand KPH’s capacity is a sign of growth. He says KPH has outgrown its footprint.
Dwayne Francis, acting chief executive officer of KPH.
Nationwide was informed that KPH operates at least six clinics daily, each seeing over 100 patients.
Our news centre has learned that the hospital currently has 20 social cases.
