KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Cornwall Regional Hospital said it is expanding its capacity to accommodate additional premature babies in light of the deaths of a number of at-risk newborns at the health institution.

In a media release issued Friday, the hospital said it has been expanding the nursery incrementally over time, in response to the demand for more accommodation for neonates.

In addition, the institution has said that it will be hiring more registered nurses as well as patient-care assistants in an effort to increase the hospital’s nurse-to-patient ratio.

The release added that the hospital will also look at acquiring additional critical equipment for the nursery as it continues to await developments in the Programme for the Reduction of Maternal and Child Mortality (PROMAC) project, which is geared towards the provision of high-dependency neonatal units at the CRH.

“The Board reaffirms that Cornwall Regional Hospital and the Western Regional Health Authority are committed to offering the best quality health care to the public as outlined in our mission statement,” the release said.