The University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) has not added a significant number of beds to its stock since the facility’s inception in 1948.

That’s according to the hospital’s Medical Chief of Staff, Dr. Carl Bruce.

He explains that when the UHWI was established, just over 200 beds were provided.

Dr. Bruce says some 75 years later, that number increased to 583 but decreased to 512, after beds were removed to make way for a dialysis unit and an intensive care unit.

Noting Jamaica’s growing population, he says the existing stock has resulted in bed challenges at the medical facility.

Dr. Bruce stresses the importance of increasing the number of beds, as the UHWI continues on its quest to become a leading hospital.