JAMAICA-PM Holness thanks China for sending hospital ship.

KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Prime Minister Andrew Holness, Friday, extended his “sincere thanks’ to China for providing a hospital ship as Jamaica continues to recover from the October 28 passage of Hurricane Melissa that killed at least 45 people and left damage estimated at nine million US dollars.

In a statement posted on X, Prime Minister Holness said the “Silk Road Ark” is now in Montego Bay, providing vital medical support to our post-Hurricane Melissa recovery.

“This hospital ship is staffed with over 100 medical professionals and equipped with advanced technology such as ECG and CT machines,” Holness wrote, adding “the team is delivering critical outpatient care and elective surgeries to Jamaicans, close to 600 patients each day”.

Holness said he was extending “sincere thanks to the government and people of China for this meaningful and ongoing support as we work to rebuild and strengthen our communities”.

Meanwhile, Holness said that his administration is pushing ahead with restoring businesses and livelihoods following the hurricane.

He said that the Ministry of Industry, Investment, & Commerce has so far assessed over 600 businesses, with significant concentration in Trelawny, Hanover, St. James, and St. Elizabeth, and that generators have been installed in key community shops across constituencies to restore refrigeration, food storage, and essential retail.

“A voucher system is being developed to help vulnerable families purchase goods through those restored businesses, ensuring the supply chain remains active and revenue flows back into local economies,” Holness added.

Holness said he was also pleased with the visit of a cruise ship which had docked at Port Royal, saying, “This is encouraging news, especially after the recent hurricane disruptions.

“We have invested heavily in Port Royal…so seeing cruise ships returning is exactly what we intended for the area,” he said, noting that Kingston Harbour has strong tourism potential.

“Jamaica is connected to over 150 ports worldwide, giving us a major advantage in global shipping,” he said, adding that new cranes will speed up container movement and that all major ports, including cruise ports, are now fully operational.

“This is a positive sign for our economy and for Jamaica’s growing role as a logistics and tourism hub,” he added.