On Tuesday, Jamaica took formal steps to cement the historic legacy of one of its most consequential political leaders, former Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller, by renaming two major public infrastructure projects in her honor. In a ceremony held in downtown Kingston, the national headquarters of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security was officially dedicated to Simpson Miller, while Prime Minister Andrew Holness announced that the under-construction Western Children and Adolescent Hospital in St James will also bear her name once completed.
These tributes cap off a decades-long career of distinguished public service for Simpson Miller, who made history in 2006 when she broke Jamaica’s highest political glass ceiling to become the first woman to lead the centre-left People’s National Party (PNP), and subsequently the island nation’s seventh Prime Minister. She held the office for two separate terms: from 2006 to 2007, and again from 2012 to 2016.
Holness emphasized during his address at the North Street naming ceremony that honoring Simpson Miller in this way was long overdue. “It was always the intent, and I expressed that directly to family, and internally we have also discussed it, and I may even have said it in passing, that the hospital should be named… in her honour,” the prime minister stated, adding that the dual naming was “only the right thing to do, it’s appropriate.”
Holness also highlighted Simpson Miller’s key role in advancing the children’s hospital project, noting that her 2014 diplomatic lobbying and negotiations with the Chinese Government secured the critical financial and technical support that turned the planned facility from a proposal into a construction reality. Located on the campus of Cornwall Regional Hospital, the new eight-story hospital will feature 220 inpatient beds, a 60-room residential facility for medical staff, modern operating suites, and care across 17 pediatric specialties and sub-specialties, including neonatology, pediatric cardiology, and pediatric critical care. The project is on track to be finalized before the end of the current Jamaican fiscal year.
In addition to the two new naming honors, Holness moved to address public uncertainty about the existing Portia Simpson Miller Square in St Andrew, where major highway overpass construction has been carried out in recent months. He confirmed that the public space will retain Simpson Miller’s name permanently, explaining that the original signage was only removed temporarily to accommodate construction work. Officials are also currently carrying out cosmetic upgrades to the area beneath the overpasses, and are considering expanding the naming designation to the entire interchange, potentially rebranding the crossing as the Portia Simpson Miller Overpasses, once upgrades are complete.
Speaking ahead of Holness at Tuesday’s ceremony, Opposition Leader and PNP President Mark Golding said he was deeply proud to see Simpson Miller receive cross-party recognition for her groundbreaking career. Describing her as a political trailblazer and an unignorable force for progress in Jamaican politics, Golding noted that her place in national history is already secure as the first woman to hold both the PNP presidency and the office of Prime Minister. “Somebody who has achieved those significant milestones, the naming of this building after her is an important step in the right direction. She is worthy of much more, and I am sure there will be much more to come in the future,” Golding said.
Golding also drew attention to Simpson Miller’s 11-year tenure as Minister of Labour, a role in which she prioritized protecting the rights and dignity of Jamaican workers participating in the country’s overseas work program. Given that lifelong commitment to labor advocacy, Golding argued that naming the Ministry of Labour and Social Security headquarters in her honor is a particularly fitting tribute. He closed his remarks with a message popular among the former prime minister’s supporters: “Big up, Sister P, your legacy is solid and your delivery for Jamaica deserves every accolade.”
Simpson Miller, who was unable to attend the ceremony in person, was represented by her grand-niece Alisa Magnus, who told attendees that the honor was beyond words to describe. “I am an extremely proud niece of a most beloved aunty, who believes wholeheartedly that she is worth being celebrated and honoured in the way that she is being done today,” Magnus said. Recalling her aunt’s dual role as a leader and a second mother to her, Magnus shared the core principles Simpson Miller always emphasized: “Always put country above self, always put neighbour above self, work as unto the Lord. The pleasure of a remarkable journey was mine.” She closed by repeating the familiar sign-off Simpson Miller used to end nearly all her public speeches: “Thank you, I love you, God bless you, and God bless Jamaica, land we love.”
In a post-ceremony news release, Golding expanded on his tribute, framing Simpson Miller as a transformative national leader whose contributions to Jamaica span labor rights, tourism development, social progress, economic reform, and public infrastructure investment.