Residents of Old Harbour and surrounding communities in St. Catherine are to benefit from a state of the art health centre in coming months.

This, as ground is being broken today by the Health Ministry through the Health Systems Strengthening Programme (HSSP) for the construction of the facility.

The construction is being funded by an investment grant from the European Union. 

The contract for the 930 million dollar project will also be signed today.

The new facility will replace the existing Old Harbour Health Centre, which is facing significant space constraints, due to a growing population. 

Plans for the new facility began from as early as 2006, some 18 years ago.

The comprehensive facility set to be completed in 14 months will provide a range of primary healthcare services, including specialist clinics and essential services such as pharmacy, laboratory, x-ray, and physiotherapy. 

Additionally, it will feature dedicated areas for dentistry, mental health, and maternal and child health. 

Speaking during the groundbreaking ceremony, Member of Parliament for South West St Catherine Everald Warmington, welcomed the development.

He warned that no extortion and gang activity will be tolerated during the construction phase.