PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis speaks at the official recommissioning of the $21m-first phase redevelopment of the Rand Memorial Hospital. All photos by Lisa Davis/BIS
By DENISE MAYCOCK
Tribune Freeport Reporter
dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis and Minister of Health Renward Wells were in Grand Bahama on Friday for the official recommissioning of the $21m-first phase redevelopment of the Rand Memorial Hospital.
Dr Minnis said an additional $18 million will be disbursed shortly from the Hurricane Dorian Fund to begin the next phase of redevelopment for a “climate-resilient hospital,” with a four-story level addition for in-patient services and care.
After almost 18 months of major construction at the hospital, the prime minister and health minister toured the completed Pharmacy, the Lula Knowles Paediatrics Ward, the Maternal & Child Health Block, the Medical/Surgical Block, the Critical Care Block, Operating Theatre, Chapel, Healing Garden and Medical/Surgical Ward Three.
With the completion of the first phase, Hospital Administrator Sharon Williams indicated that they will begin the return of patients to the hospital.
“What you see here represents the indomitable spirit of Grand Bahamians, and the tireless efforts of health planners, health executives, skilled labourers and tradesmen, and dedicated health workers,” said the prime minister.
“They have gone above and beyond to restore this essential institution vital to the health care needs of the people of Grand Bahama and the Northern Bahamas.”
Dr Minnis noted that for the next phase of the redevelopment of the Rand, the Cabinet granted the Public Hospitals Authority approval to engage an architectural firm to develop detailed architectural and engineering plans for a new climate-resilient hospital and clinic facility for Grand Bahama and the Northern Bahamas, with the requisite funding.
He said that a contract for a four-level tower will soon be awarded to allow inpatient services to be removed from the ground floor level to the second, third and fourth story levels.
“In the event of another major disaster, healthcare services will not have to be displaced, as was the case following Hurricane Dorian,” he said. For this purpose, the Ministry of Finance is to disburse the allocated $18 million from the Hurricane Dorian Fund.”
He recalled how Dorian destroyed or severely damaged critical elements of the public health infrastructure here on Grand Bahama.
“The floodwaters swept through the corridors of the Rand Memorial Hospital and into the wards, putting at risk staff and patients as the storm winds battered the 50-year-old institution.
He noted that 80 per cent of the Rand was inundated with flood damage, which resulted in catastrophic loss of medical and surgical equipment, as well as major roof damage, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning damage, and major damage to the warehouse and morgue. He said rust and mould presented serious hazards in areas affected by flooding.
He also noted that four of the 10 public health clinics were rendered non-operational due to damage and flooding, and two other clinics were destroyed.
The Prime Minister said in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian, his government allocated $21m to the restoration of the Rand Memorial Hospital.
Last August, he said PHA secured Consulting Services Agreement proposal with The BECK Group, a Government approved healthcare planning, architectural, and engineering firm.
Dr Minnis noted that work associated with the master planning, programming, and design for this redevelopment project is scheduled to commence in early May 2021.
“This further development of healthcare supports the continued investment this Government is making to restore the infrastructure, economy, and the communities of Grand Bahama.
“Today we pause and recognize how very far we have come while acknowledging that there is still work to be done.”
Prime Minister Minnis said his government knows some challenges remain that must be addressed in the weeks, and months ahead.
He stressed that Grand Bahama and the nation continue the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr Minnis believes that vaccinations along with masking, hand washing, and social distancing remain the surest route to the other side of the pandemic and a return to normalcy for the Bahamas.
“The Bahamian people have risen to meet these challenges, as we have done so many times before as one people united in love and service,” he said.
Health Minister Renward Wells said he is pleased to witness the completion of the capital works and restoration and recommissioning of key areas of the Rand Memorial Hospital.
“The occasion marks a very significant accomplishment in the restoration of the public health platform in GB,” he said.
“This recommissioning serves as a very special milestone for the men and woman of the Grand Bahama Health Services and local and international partners who have worked tirelessly to make today a reality.”
Mr Wells also commended the health staff for their “sacrificial service” during the height of Hurricane Dorian and through the challenging weeks and months that followed.
“I could not be more proud of you and all you have done collectively and individually to ensure the delivery of essential health care services to the people of GB in the wake of one of the world’s most horrific natural disasters. Your service reinforces the view that we are a nation of people with an indomitable spirit,” he said.
He also noted that the theme, “We Remember Our Past, We Celebrate Our Present, and We believe in our Future, speaks not only to GBHS, but it is a message that serves all of the Bahamas.
Comments
JokeyJack 3 years, 8 months ago
You think these govt people could ever stop spending $10M+ and $20M+ while Bahamians are going hungry in this country?
They must really know how BAD they gonna lose and so getting all the contract money they could get in the last days. It's just so hard to accept there is so much evil in the world, but it cannot be denied. This report is disgusting and very sick. How do these people sleep at night?
Twenty million dollars !!!! Where the hell is twenty million dollars suddenly coming from? The tooth ferry did an upgrade? They think people stupid.
JokeyJack 3 years, 8 months ago
The sad thing is, he/they cannot possibly understand why anyone (me) would be upset with him building a hospital. I mean, a hospital, that's a good thing right? People get sick, need doctors and medicine and stuff. BUT the problem is the same old same old same same old problem from "that time". Where the VAT money gone? Why wont Brave Davis allow the PAC to meet so we can find out where ALL our money gone? Why dont PM call Davis out on his failure to act? Why dont the PLP stalwarts care where all the money has gone while they see their friends and neighbors scrapping from day to day? People go in the food store with $50 and come out with 2 little bags, but these people spend tens of millions from some kinda "Dorian Relief Fund"??? What fund? How much money is in it? Last time we asked for money to buy food they said Oh no, all those millions of Dorian money you hear about online are only "pledges". Pledges eh? You bought these cement blocks with pledges? So now my grandchild owes money to the hardware? This is truly truly sickening.
Cobalt 3 years, 8 months ago
@JokeyJack, you are indeed Jokey fa true! The government is not responsible for your inability to feed yourself. However, they are indeed responsible for erecting and renovating facilities that are crucial to the healthcare delivery system. Do you realize that for almost a decade the Rand Memorial hospital didn’t even have a crash cart??? Which means anyone suffering cardiac arrest or heart failure would probably die due to the lack of emergency medicine! This was unconscionable and inept and the government knew that it was their responsibility to fix it! Feeding you and other Bahamians is not their problem! It’s yours! By the sweat of YOUR brow YOU shall eat bread! Not the government. Bahamians need to understand that many of them are in the position that they are now in due to the poor choices they have made in their lives. You’re not a baby! So get off the government’s tit! If you are hungry, go and farm your own food and stop begging the government! 20 million dollars on renovating a hospital is money well spent!
JokeyJack 3 years, 8 months ago
Interesting point, esp the grow your own food part. The hext time a guy comes up begging me at the traffic light i will offer him a hoe and shovel.
Emilio26 3 years, 8 months ago
JokeyJack while I'm happy that the Rand Memorial Hospital is getting an upgrade however its disappointing how PM Minnis refuses to build a new hospital in New Providence because PMH is a dump.
Cobalt 3 years, 8 months ago
Guys...... do you realize that it costs approximately 400 to 600 million dollars to build a hospital??? And that does not include the millions of dollars it would cost to staff the facility. Furthermore, the Bahamas is a small country with only four-hundred thousand people, many of whom are unemployed with no national or federal healthcare program in place to pay their hospital visits. So where will the government get the funds from to build a brand new hospital and cover operational costs??? Y’all need to be more practical in your thinking and stop blurting out every piece of nonsense that comes to mind. Smt.
JokeyJack 3 years, 8 months ago
Do you realize in 2015 over 900 million dollats was collected in VAT alone? Nearly every year it's that much or more. Nobody can say where it goes hecause there is no separate accounting for it. However, the food store keeps track of your little $50 coupon and can report whether you bought grits or flour or bread. $50? Detailed accounting. $900M? No accounting
Cobalt 3 years, 8 months ago
The purpose of VAT is to reduce our NATIONAL DEBT!! That why the government introduced it!!! Because we OWE OWE OWE!!! Either we reduce our debt or the IMF and other international lenders were about to devalue our dollar which equates to economic suicide! Furthermore, how do you know that the government has collected 900 million dollars on VAT??? Can you validate or prove that? Is it in writing? Is that an official amount? Has that been officially reported by a credible news outlet? Where did you get this number from? Show me some proof please. We Bahamians are notorious for talking unsubstantiated rubbish!
tribanon 3 years, 8 months ago
I hope you're just kidding here; otherwise you've just succeeded in losing all credibility on this particular topic.
TalRussell 3 years, 8 months ago
@Comrade Jokey, the Ministry of Agriculture beat you to the Hoe - and it's rumored around that if you shout and scream for more, the Ministry will even throw in a package of seeds, with their Hoe, yes?
birdiestrachan 3 years, 8 months ago
doc Minnis went to GB a week or so ago to open the hospital but he said it was not ready he would have to come again. did he know when he jumped on the plane. it was not ready.
he should be ashamed it took almost two years to do repairs. How long will it take to build a hospital.?
Doc is having a good time at the expense of the taxpayers while he makes it extremely difficult for Bahamians to visit their loved ones on the family Island.
proudloudandfnm 3 years, 8 months ago
It would've taken the PLP 10 years Birdie. What country do you live in? Where's the money from the 51% shares in BTC? Where's the money that was supposed to go in the foundation from BTC Birdie?
The sad truth is both parties are incompetent, period.
JokeyJack 3 years, 8 months ago
Yee, where is that money? Nobody in current governmemt smart enough to audkt and find out? Or has Aiditor General already found it but cant speak because og the rule that his findings need to be tabled in the House first?
birdiestrachan 3 years, 8 months ago
doc's commercial with the woman and children. she says doc grew up over the hill. money was tight for her. but the food program helped her to buy food for her children.
Then she reappears with a head full of wigs, did she have all of that false hair before. or did she just now buy that hair. just asking.
doc is desperate to remain PM. Bahamians should be aware the man has serious problems speaking TRUTH.
TalRussell 3 years, 8 months ago
Comrade Birdie, a seasoned on the ground FREEport, Minnis spotter is saying that at time PM's first trip, the Hospital was indeed officially opened as scheduled but upon his return capital he was treated to a frenzy of rage by his minister health for not thinking has invited him to travel along for the Hospital's official opening - so the OPM, surpressed media coverage to allow for a restaging of the Hospital's official opening, much to the pleasing delight of Renward.
Hope the PM, hasn't forgotten, how it took Papa's former law partner Perry Gladstone, like weeks just to get Renward to return the keys for his government office, the government assigned motor car, and his hand-held Blackberry device, yes?
whatsup 3 years, 8 months ago
Why do politicians get so much praise for doing things with our tax dollars?
Cobalt 3 years, 8 months ago
Because many of them DON’T do the right thing with our tax dollars!! Such as spending 20 million dollars on a Carnival Festival!
TalRussell 3 years, 8 months ago
Well, my comrade, the obviously best of the unconfusing answers - may just be as simple as the hired-gun advisors to the soon be general election day's outgoing finance, education, health, and tourism, either is ranked right up there amongst the most abused of imported republican political advisors or they're as flippin' mad as the red politicians, they're advising, yes?
TigerB 3 years, 8 months ago
My wife is in charge of the Pediatrics ward, it was not finish last week, they just move the equipment from Sunrise Medical on Thursday in a hurry job before the PM reach. It wasn't ready for the first trip as the Pm said.
TalRussell 3 years, 8 months ago
@Comrade TigerB, FREEporters on the ground, couldn't agree more how the whole hospital thing appears to be a restaged event. The delay might explain, why the officials thought not to say, Thank You by the office of the prime minister, not sending a VIP invite off to the Good Samaritans Billy Graham's son, to attend the Hospital's official pre-general election photo op?
The Good Samaritans probably spend more millions of Sand Dollars, medically to come to the medical needs of Grand Bahamians, and Abacoians, than did the government on the hospitals fixer-up** renovations, yes?
Cobalt 3 years, 8 months ago
@TigerB.... I’m not at all surprised. Sounds about right. And if what you are saying is indeed true, then this appears to be just another political stunt intended to woo voters in the next upcoming general elections. The problem is, these stunts tend to back fire when voters realize that these actions are really predictable election tactics. However, the article does say that this is only the first phase of the project.
tribanon 3 years, 8 months ago
You forgot to remind @TigerB that our mega millions of VAT dollars paid to government each year are always being directed towards paying down the ever growing level of our unsustainable national debt. lol
birdiestrachan 3 years, 8 months ago
proudfnm you must remember it was the FNM papa who sold BTC or rather gave it away He stood on the house floor and said "Bahamians need not apply" ask him what happened to the money.
While you are at it ask him how much profit was gained when it was sold to the new owners. remember how the man I believe his name was Nairn laughed at doc.
Considering the importance of foreign reserves. The Bahamas has to find the money to send out of the Bahamas. made from Bahamians
How smart is that. Those FNM leaders have never been very wise. In fact dumb as hell.
carltonr61 3 years, 8 months ago
Hitler wants us to take a jab not yet tested on rats, dogs, ants or pigs as a vaccine just to have a job. He closed foodstores and starved us because he love us and to save lives. We are under about 400 days of dictatorial self rule curfew and lockdowns because he loves giving us pain ripping us from the womb of adult life, dignity and freedom. Making us cattle ownership slaves of our bodies, that employers could say brand that slave make them take a vaccine or his business is police blacklisted, closed or his staff is terminated. Let us see aborted millions saving lives. Hypocrites with deadly slogans should also return lives of innocent unborn out of love as we feel what it is like to also be murdered while wide awake and our lives being saved while he profits. As covax payback profits grow for saving lives of herd test dummies aborting Covid lies with no shame and using CDC as their slave master big stick.
John 3 years, 8 months ago
Not a moment too soon. Hopefully it is a climate protected building. Does that mean hurricane resistant?
Sickened 3 years, 8 months ago
Probably not. It just means that it has A/C for when the temperature rises outside.
tribanon 3 years, 8 months ago
Not to worry. The building comes equipped with a periscope and snorkel system for underwater weather events.
rodentos 3 years, 8 months ago
you mean the septic is now hurricane-proof...
rodentos 3 years, 8 months ago
Let it now withstand the next cat.5 and we are all happy.... but guess the ocean will again rise 15ft and destroy everything, or was something done about this problem in the first place?
rodentos 3 years, 8 months ago
btw what about that 10 story building next to the EMall roundabout? Would it not be cheaper to refurbish that building even if it is quite damaged - however it was at least not flooded by the waters and the frame is solid! Confiscate it and rebuild a 10 story hospital. end of the story.
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