Spanish Town Hospital’s urology department recently celebrated its fifth anniversary on June 28, 2026, with new equipment. This equipment will help serve the severe need for health infrastructure to support patients with prostate cancer in Jamaica.

A Generous Anniversary

Spanish Town Hospital is located in St. Catherine, Jamaica’s fastest-growing parish. It serves patients from Kingston and St. Andrew, as well as parts of Clarendon, St. Mary and St. Ann. It is one of 24 public hospitals on the island.

In celebration of its anniversary, the urology department received equipment for detecting and treating prostate cancer. The Jamaican National Health Fund and private companies generously supported the department and paid for the lifesaving equipment. Donors gave Spanish Town Hospital new equipment, including an advanced ultrasound machine, prostate biopsy machine and prostate biopsy gun.

This equipment is critical for Jamaicans given the high rate of prostate cancer on the island. Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among Jamaican men, accounting for 38.5% of new cancer cases among men in 2024. Prostate cancer is also the leading cause of cancer deaths among Jamaican men. In 2024 alone, Jamaica recorded 1,394 new cases of prostate cancer and 809 deaths.

Cost

Screening for prostate cancer and catching the disease in its earliest stages is one of the easiest ways to prevent cancer deaths. However, researchers most often cite socioeconomic factors as the reason many Jamaicans do not get screened for prostate cancer. As socioeconomic status rises, so does screening for prostate cancer. Early detection of prostate cancer is also positively correlated with socioeconomic status. This means those in poverty face the highest risk of late detection, and therefore death.

Furthering the disparity, Jamaica splits its health care system into private and public services. Generally, private hospitals have shorter waiting times, more resources and better-qualified personnel. As socioeconomic status increases, so does use of private health care systems. Private hospitals, and therefore the best screening for prostate cancer in Jamaica, are too expensive for those in poverty to access.

World Bank data from 2021 lists 16.7% of the population as below the Jamaican national poverty line. That represents more than a sixth of the population unable to access the lifesaving technology found in private hospitals. These Jamaicans also cannot get preventative testing for deadly prostate cancer.

Good News

Spanish Town is a public hospital that now has the capabilities to help those in poverty receive screening and treatment for prostate cancer.

Dr. Elon Thompson, the leader of the urology department, told the Jamaica Gleaner the new equipment fills “one of the key missing components” in treating patients. He added that it will help the department diagnose prostate cancer earlier.

This equipment upgrade is part of an effort to turn the 70-year-old hospital into a modern center of health care. Officials estimate the renovations will cost 5.5 billion Jamaican dollars, or about $347.8 million. The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is financially supporting the government of Jamaica to cover the cost. The IDB funds development throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, and it receives a large share of its own operating budget from the United States.

– Isabella Law

Isabella is based in Pilesgrove, NJ, USA and focuses on Good News and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr