Second Field Hospital deployed in Jamaica to treat to treat victims of Hurricane Melissa

Jamaica: A second field hospital has been deployed in Falmouth with comprehensive services and the third is planned for Cornwall Regional Hospital in Montego Bay in Jamaica. These hospitals are being deployed with assistance from Barbados due to the destruction caused by Category 5 Hurricane Melissa.

Notably, a fully operational and first field hospital in St. Elizabeth has treated 50 patients in 24 hours, staffed by 60 U.S. and local professionals. Additional mobile clinics and pharmacy units are active across St. Elizabeth, St. James, Westmoreland, Hanover, and Manchester. The Ministry of Health is mapping damaged infrastructure to deploy temporary field centers and expand community-based care.

As per the updates provided by Prime Minister Andrew Holness of Jamaica, over 900 health workers are mobilized to address rising vector-borne risks like dengue, while public health inspectors are conducting food and water safety checks.

Mental health support is also being scaled up with PAHO assistance, and volunteers are invited to join the response via hurricaneresponse@moh.gov.jm. The government has also coordinated with over 30 donor organizations, aiming to ensure a unified effort to restore healthcare services and support traumatized communities.

On the connectivity front, the government has also issued public advisory on secure installation of Starlink Systems to support post-hurricane connectivity. The advisory focuses on physical safety, theft prevention, power protection and cybersecurity best practices that are aimed at keeping people securely online.

Due to Hurricane Melissa, local commerce has also been badly affected as many small shops, markets, and pharmacies remain closed, especially in rural areas where access is limited.

To support this, PM Holness has directed the Minister of Industry, Investment, and Commerce to develop a plan to help small shops reopen. As part of that plan, we will loan 50 generators to legitimate small enterprises in the hardest-hit and most remote communities.

Verification will be done through JPs, the police, and community leaders, and the programme will be managed by the JBDC and DBJ.