The University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) is seeking support to complete a 13-bed Intensive Care Unit (ICU) project which the administration hopes to open later this year. Earlier this year, the NCB Group responded to similar calls donating US$30M which was used to purchase nine state-of-the-art ICU beds. However, additional funding is being sought to outfit the John Homi Intensive Care Unit, bringing the hospital’s capacity to 21 beds; as well as purchase vital imaging equipment. An estimated US 23.5 million is needed. ICUs are hospital departments which treat patients requiring specialised assistance with life-threatening injuries and illnesses. These patients are admitted for as long as is necessary. This type of care usually necessitates the support of special medication and equipment to perform normal bodily functions like breathing. ICU patients can include gunshot victims, persons who suffered heart attacks, brain surgery, kidney failure, and complicated surgeries. However, reality dictates with the frequency at which incidents occur, a large number of cases cannot be accommodated for treatment. “If there is no ICU bed to accommodate and allow for treatment someone who is in need of critical, round the clock care, the most likely and unfortunate result is death. That is the situation we are working against,” Fitzgerald Mitchell, Senior Director, Operations and Facilities Management at the UHWI noted in reflection on the efforts by the facility to fix a situation that has been in the making for years. Across the island there is a grave shortage of ICU spaces with approximately 30 beds among the UHWI, Kingston Public Hospital (KPH), Cornwall Regional, and Bustamante Children’s Hospital. In February the Heart Institute of the Caribbean announced the opening of a six-bed cardiac intensive care unit dedicated to heart patients. Currently the largest teaching hospital in the region and the largest hospital in Jamaica, UHWI has the largest number of ICU spaces, eight. But based on World Health Organization (WHO) standards, the hospital should have at least 30 operational ICU beds. “We are indeed grateful for the generous donation by the NCB Group and assistance by other contributors, including the Rotary Club, CHASE Fund, National Health Fund, and the Universal Service Fund. The Government of Jamaica through the Ministry of Health is trying to support us as best as possible. However, we still require a significant infusion of support whether in kind or cash in order to face this problem head on. We do what we can but the truth is that this is one of those situations in which we must reach out to our partners in society who understand the importance of the service we carry out here,” Mr. Mitchell continued. On its own initiative, the UHWI has taken steps to reduce its own expenditure and reroute funds towards improving its operational capacity. But despite a substantial reduction in energy bills - its highest expense, and digitization of administrative procedures, the savings are minimal in comparison to the need for equipment to optimize the delivery of health care. Imaging equipment alone is estimated at US$15.5. These devices including: digital radiographic, fluoroscopic, C-arm surgical imaging, infection control equipment, ultrasounds and PET scan equipment, infusion pumps, digital mobile x-ray units, among others. It is the hospital’s intention to reduce the need for invasive surgeries which will result in saving millions of dollars and man hours, while significantly reducing recovery time for patients. Organisations and individuals with an interest in making donations are invited to visit the hospital’s website at http://www.uhwi.gov.jm/about/donate-help-uhwi or contact the Office of the Chief Executive Officer at 927-1620-9.