Arrangements are being made for St. Joseph’s Hospital to take some patients from the University Hospital of the West Indies to help ease overcrowding.

This arrangement will be a temporary measure while work continues on the long-term solution, the expansion of the UHWI, which will result in increased bed space.

Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton recently visited the UHWI and was updated on the challenges being experienced by staff due to overcrowding.

The issue stems mainly from an increase in chronic non-communicable disease cases, including people with diabetes, hypertension, heart and kidney disease.

The UHWI, with its daily admission of about 150 patients for emergency care, is seeing excess numbers in its Accident and Emergency Department, particularly for internal medicine patients.

The need for redevelopment has been recognised, given the demands of a growing population and the prevailing impact of chronic diseases on people of all ages.

The hospital is set for $4.9 billion in upgrades, with construction of a six-storey facility and 40 more surgical beds.