Rasbert Turner, Star Writer

The building of the long-awaited Portmore hospital is very alive and well, according to Portmore's Mayor Keith Hinds.

"I am pleased to tell you that the developer of the proposed Port-more hospital has confirmed that funding has now been secured and that within a week there will be a meeting," Hinds said. He was addressing members of the Jamaica National Small Business Loan Limited at the Power of Faith Shopping Complex recently.

Hinds said that the assurance came from chief executive officer of CayJam Development, Howard Peterson, who is also the company's president. CayJam was the company which had undertaken to build the hospital.

overdue

"Let me confess, I am very heartened by this new development, as Portmore badly needs this hospital, in fact, it is overdue," Hinds told THE PORTMORE STAR during an interview.

While failing to say how much money it would now cost to build the facility, Mayor Hinds said he was very please that the health institution is still a part of Portmore's development.

For the last six years, residents of Portmore have been promised a state-of-the-art hospital. It was to be built on lands in Southboro in the municipality.

Despite the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the developer and the Portmore Municipal Council, residents are still waiting. Following the MOU signing, it was later announced at a meeting that the US$40 million funding could not be secured for the building of the 120-bed hospital.