Susan Gordon, Business Reporter

The Tony Thwaites Wing at the University Hospital of the West Indies on Thursday. - Andrew Smith/Photography Editor

The private Tony Thwaites Wing (TTW) of the University Hospital of the West Indies in Mona, St Andrew is to undertake another major expansion that will double its capacity, starting year-end, to round out its medium-term growth plans.

The expansion, described as a well needed move by the wing's Board of Management, comes two years behind the $165 million investment in two operating theatres and an 8-bed intensive care unit for the main hospital two years ago.

The TTW board is riding out the storm season, which ends November, to move ahead with its current plan to add about 15 rooms and 25 more beds to its existing 20 rooms and 30 beds.

The hospital wing will be building up a floor, instead of out, which means the project will not eat into the limited land space on which the hospital sits.

Outgrown facilities

"We've outgrown our existing bed facilities and have had to turn patients away because of lack of beds," said Dr. Andrea Sutherland, TTW manager.

Sutherland said the expansion would be funded from revenues generated by the wing, but said the cost of making the investment had not been finalised.

"We haven't had a bill of quantity or estimate of the cost," confirmed board member, R. Danny Williams in an interview with Sunday Business.

Williams was at the forefront of efforts to raise funds for the last project, much of which was solicited from corporate sponsors.

With the Tony Thwaites Wing's private and semi-private rooms costing $6,500 and $5,000 respectively per night at an average stay of five nights per patient, the hospital generates an average of $34 million per annum just from the 30 beds, according to Sunday Business estimates. Services and surgeries would be an additional cost on patients, running into hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Assuming the room rates hold steady, the new addition onto the private wing could generate a further $26 million per annum in revenue just from the room rates.

Describing the occupancy level at the hospital as very high, Dr. Sutherland said the private wing gets well over 100 admissions per month.

The Tony Thwaites Wing has 10 private rooms each with a single bed and 10 semi-private rooms. The semi-private rooms are each furnished with two beds to accommodate a maximum total of 20 patients. Patients on this ward have the luxury of cable television air conditioning environment, and a more attentive nursing care.

Sunday Business calculates that each room generates a basic $143,750 per month in income, exclusive of other services.

The TTW board wants the expansion completed within a year of the project's implementation.

"We are still working through the drawings," said Sutherland. "However, we intend to put in approximately 15 rooms, five of which will be private rooms and the rest semi-private rooms.

The Tony Thwaites Wing was originally built in 1989 and is owned by more than 60 private members of corporate Jamaica. It is independently funded and chaired by Mark Thwaites.

- susan.smith@gleanerjm.com