MEMBER of Parliament for Portland Western Daryl Vaz says that the Buff Bay Community Hospital is to be refurbished to the tune of $200 million from the National Health Fund.

Vaz, the Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation with responsibility for the Land, Environment, Climate Change and Investment portfolios, said that refurbishing will be done in this financial year.

“The National Health Fund will finance the upgrading of the Buff Bay hospital and we will be starting this financial year for a complete centre of excellence at a cost of $200 million; $150 million will be spent for infrastructure building and $50 million for equipment.

“There will be a wide range of services including a maternity service so that the people of Portland can be registered in Portland rather than in St Mary,” he stated while at the ground-breaking ceremony for the Buff Bay Police Station.

Both facilities border each other in the town of Buff Bay. The hospital has been lacking in a number of services, forcing residents to visit the Annotto Bay Hospital in St Mary.