New Port Kaituma Hospital to be operational by year end
— Public Health Ministry pushing for timely completion of corrective works
─Envisions year-end occupancy of buildings
DPI, Guyana, Monday, September 2, 2019
The Ministry of Public Health is expected to ink a $150M contract which will see the commencement of corrective works on the Port Kaituma Hospital Complex by the first week of September.
A team led by Minister of Public Health, Hon. Volda Lawrence recently conducted an assessment visit to the complex to examine the area where the works will take place.
Among the upgrades are access points for accident and emergency patients, outpatients, rehabilitation of other areas to accommodate audiology, radiology and other specialised areas. The ministry’s procurement manager, Seewchan explained that the goal is to ensure that all the necessary services are now available in the Port Kaituma district.
“When the hospital was initially designed, it didn’t cater to some specialised areas, particularly for radiology … so, we are trying to have that completed with the specific pieces of material which are required to be used in the radiology department,” he said.
Minister Lawrence noted that based on the scope of works to be done, the staff can move into the new complex as soon as November. Seewchan added that it is the ministry’s intention for the works to be done promptly as the primary goal is to relocate all existing and new services to a more spacious and conducive facility soonest.
Based on the new facility’s capacity, there is the likelihood of the new Port Kaituma Hospital becoming the new regional hospital in the Barima-Waini. It will also cater to improved workspace for staff and better healthcare delivery for patients.
Seewchan continued to explain, “having visited the Port Kaituma old hospital you would see the challenges not only our health workers are being faced with but the patients also. There is the lack of ventilation, electricity to do basic testing and so on but I think with this new hospital being in place having that huge complex, having the mortuary, generator, admin office, a section for infectious diseases and a housing quarter for the doctors and nurses I think that will facilitate better service.”
In 2014, the previous administration contracted R. Bassoo and Sons, and Kalitech as the supervisory consultancy firm overseeing the project. The initial project was valued at $700M.
Since the Coalition administration assumed office in 2015, the Public Health Ministry has reformulated a plan for the new complex which includes provision for all the necessary services some of which were not catered for during the initial stages.
During this process where corrective works will be carried out the ministry says it will comply with strict standards and guidelines which were not adhered to initially.