New maternity ward at New Amsterdam Hospital to be completed in 2021
– CT scanner operational
The highly anticipated $191 million maternity wing at the New Amsterdam hospital aimed to significantly improve clinical and management services will be completed in 2021.
Regional Chairman, Mr. David Armogan told the DPI that this initiative will ensure more obstetrics and gynaecology services through consultants are offered. This will include adequate pediatric doctors and more space for private conversations with women and girls about family planning.
He said that the wing will offer more theatre services, a labour room, birthing room, post anaesthetic unit and an upgraded neonatal intensive care unit to ensure improved neonatal care surgery and aftercare for both mother and child.
This will, in turn, contribute to the reduction of maternal deaths and infant mortality in the region.
With this in mind, the regional administration has been working with the contractor in charge to complete such works. However, completion has been delayed due to unforeseen circumstances.
“The construction of the new maternity wing started about two years ago and while it should have been completed already, there was a lapse in terms of time which the contractor would have been given. So, we have given him an additional time to make sure that the project is completed by the first quarter of 2021,” Mr. Armogan explained.
When completed, the facility will cater for 100 beds, parking facilities, two operating theatres, four delivery rooms, viewing areas for visitors and doctors’ restrooms.
The contract for the project was awarded to S and K Construction and Consultancy Services and General Supplies in 2018.
In addition to this, a Computerised Tomography (CT Scan) machine has been installed at the hospital, which the Regional Chairman said will alleviate those who have to resort to utilising services from private health institutions.
“The CT Scan machine has been lying for the last five-six years has now been installed at the New Amsterdam Hospital and it is functioning so members of the public will no longer need to go private hospital and pay large sum of monies to get a result,” he added.
In 2016, the new CT scanner, valued at approximately US$200,000 was donated but the equipment was never installed and operationalised.
The Regional Administration has also improved the hospital’s laboratory facility to ensure doctors can better assess their patients.
Meanwhile, the Region has also undertaken rehabilitation works at the Black Bush Polder, Port Mourant, Skeldon and Mibicuri District hospitals.