Last Reviewed: May 5, 2026

1. Introduction

The University Hospital of the West Indies (hereinafter referred to as “UHWI,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is committed to protecting the privacy and personal information of all individuals who interact with our website at https://uhwi.gov.jm/ (the “Website”). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, store, and protect your personal information in accordance with the Data Protection Act, 2020 of Jamaica and its accompanying Regulations.

By accessing or using our Website, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with this Policy, please refrain from using our Website.

2. Legal Framework

This Privacy Policy is governed by and construed in accordance with:

• The Data Protection Act, 2020 of Jamaica (the “Act”);
• The Data Protection (General) Regulations;
• Any other applicable Jamaican laws and regulations relating to data privacy and protection.

UHWI, as a data controller under the Act, is responsible for the lawful, fair, and transparent processing of your personal data.

3. Information We Collect

We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide when you interact with our Website. The specific information collected depends on the form or service you use:

3.1 Contact Form

When you submit an enquiry through our Contact Form at https://uhwi.gov.jm/contact-us, we collect:

• Full Name
• Email Address

3.2 Billing Query Form

When you submit a billing-related enquiry through the Billing Query Form at https://uhwi.gov.jm/billing-query, we collect:

• Full Name
• Email Address
• Telephone Number

3.3 Automatically Collected Information

When you visit our Website, certain information is collected automatically, including:

• IP address and approximate geographic location
• Browser type, version, and operating system
• Pages visited, time spent on each page, and navigation paths
• Referring URLs and exit pages
• Device type and screen resolution

This information is collected through cookies and Google Analytics (see Sections 6 and 7 below).

4. Purpose of Processing and Legal Basis

We process your personal information for the following purposes, each underpinned by a lawful basis under the Data Protection Act, 2020:

• Purpose: To respond to your general enquiries submitted via the Contact Form – Legitimate interest and the performance of a task in the public interest.
• Purpose: To address billing queries and manage financial correspondence – Compliance with legal obligations and performance of a contract or pre-contractual steps.
• Purpose: To improve our Website’s content, usability, and functionality through analytics – Legitimate interest.
• Purpose: To ensure the security and integrity of our Website – Legitimate interest.
• Purpose: To comply with applicable Jamaican laws and regulatory requirements – Legal obligation.

5. How We Use Your Information

Your personal information is used solely for the purposes outlined in Section 4. We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing or commercial purposes. We will not use your personal data in any manner incompatible with the purposes for which it was originally collected without first obtaining your consent.

6. Use of Cookies

6.1 What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit a website. They help the website recognise your device on subsequent visits and enable certain functionality.

6.2 Types of Cookies We Use

Our Website uses the following categories of cookies:

• Strictly Necessary Cookies – Essential for the Website to function properly. These cannot be disabled without affecting core functionality.
• Analytics Cookies – Used to collect information about how visitors use our Website (see Section 7). These include cookies set by Google Analytics.
• Preference Cookies – Used to remember your settings and preferences to improve your experience.

6.3 Managing Cookies

You may control and manage cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to refuse cookies, delete existing cookies, or be notified when a new cookie is placed. Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of our Website.

For further guidance on managing cookies, visit www.aboutcookies.org or www.allaboutcookies.org.

7. Google Analytics

Our Website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google LLC (“Google”). Google Analytics uses cookies to collect information about how visitors use our Website. The information generated by these cookies — including your anonymised IP address — is transmitted to and stored by Google on servers in the United States.

Google uses this information to:

• Evaluate the use of our Website;
• Compile reports on Website activity; and
• Provide us with other services relating to Website activity and internet usage.

We have enabled IP anonymisation, which means that Google will truncate your IP address within member states of the European Union or other parties to the Agreement on the European Economic Area prior to transmission.

You may opt out of Google Analytics tracking at any time by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on, available at https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.

For more information on how Google processes data collected via Google Analytics, please refer to Google’s Privacy Policy at https://policies.google.com/privacy.

8. Disclosure of Your Personal Information

We may share your personal information with the following categories of recipients:

• Internal staff and authorised personnel who require access to process your enquiry or billing query;
• Government ministries, agencies, or regulatory bodies where required by Jamaican law;
• Any party where disclosure is necessary to protect the vital interests of an individual or to prevent serious harm.

We do not transfer your personal information to third parties for their own independent marketing purposes.

9. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as is necessary to fulfil the purpose for which it was collected, to comply with our legal and regulatory obligations, or to resolve disputes and enforce our agreements. The specific retention periods are as follows:

• Contact Form submissions: Retained for up to two (2) years from the date of submission, unless further retention is required by law.
• Billing Query submissions: Retained for up to seven (7) years in accordance with financial record-keeping requirements under Jamaican law.
• Google Analytics data: Retained in accordance with Google’s data retention policies (typically 26 months by default).

Upon expiry of the applicable retention period, your personal information will be securely deleted or anonymised.

10. Your Rights Under the Data Protection Act, 2020

As a data subject under the Data Protection Act, 2020 of Jamaica, you have the following rights with respect to your personal information:

• Right of Access – You have the right to request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Right to Rectification – You have the right to request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal information.
• Right to Erasure (Right to be Forgotten) – You have the right to request the deletion of your personal information where it is no longer necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, where you withdraw your consent (if consent was the basis for processing), or where processing is unlawful.
• Right to Restrict Processing – You have the right to request that we limit the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.
• Right to Object – You have the right to object to the processing of your personal information where we rely on legitimate interests as the legal basis for processing.
• Right to Data Portability – Where processing is based on consent or the performance of a contract, you have the right to receive your personal information in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format.

 

To exercise any of the above rights, including your right to request the deletion of your personal data, please submit a written request to us using the contact details provided in Section 13 of this Policy. We will respond to your request within thirty (30) days of receipt, in accordance with the Act. In certain circumstances, we may need to verify your identity before processing your request.

11. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorised access, accidental loss, destruction, or disclosure. These measures include, but are not limited to, secure server infrastructure, access controls, and staff training on data protection obligations.

However, please note that no method of transmission over the internet or method of electronic storage is completely secure. While we strive to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

12. Third-Party Links

Our Website may contain links to third-party websites. Please note that this Privacy Policy applies only to the UHWI Website. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of any external websites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party websites you visit.

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or the processing of your personal information, please contact us at:

University Hospital of the West Indies

Data Privacy Officer / Office of Administration

Website: https://uhwi.gov.jm/contact-us

We take all privacy complaints seriously and will acknowledge your communication within five (5) business days. If you are unsatisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with the Office of the Information Commissioner of Jamaica.

14. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We reserve the right to update or amend this Privacy Policy at any time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or operational needs. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated “Last Reviewed” date. We encourage you to review this Policy periodically. Your continued use of the Website after the posting of changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

© 2026 University Hospital of the West Indies. All Rights Reserved.

https://uhwi.gov.jm/  |  https://uhwi.gov.jm/contact-us