The Tribune

By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Chief Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

THE cleaning contract for the Princess Margaret Hospital and its eye care clinic, previously held by Barbara Hanna’s Magic Touch cleaning company, has now been split between two companies.

While their contracts are still being vetted, EBCO Cleaning and Cartwright Enterprises (CE) are expected to start work on May 1. The split is a return to a former arrangement utilised by the Public Hospitals Authority (PHA) before Magic Touch successfully bid for the $500,000 annual contract in 2016, which later increased to nearly $2m, according to Public Hospitals Authority (PHA) Deputy Managing Director Lyrone Burrows yesterday.

EBCO’s contract is reportedly valued at $422,216.55, while the CE contract is valued at $1,512,496.30, The Tribune was told.

Mr Burrows did not confirm the value of the new contracts during his interview with The Tribune.

“Based on some of the feedback we would have gotten from constituents relative to operation of the last contract,” Mr Burrows said, “it was agreed it would be better for two companies to be brought in based on scope of work entailed.

“It really has to do with the size and capability of the organisation themselves to be able to provide the necessary manpower to cover all of the areas,” he continued. 

“It’s difficult to find one company in the Bahamas that has that level of manpower to cover that type of square footage and for the requirements that were involved.”

Magic Touch’s renewed contract ended late last year, but the company has continued cleaning services on a month-to-month basis.

Mr Burrows confirmed Magic Touch had submitted a bid in the tender process that started in January, and was finalised the following month.

He explained the main hospital was split into three sections, with the Eye Care Clinic on Soldier Road representing the fourth section.

“Magic Touch would have had a relationship with PHA over a two-year period,” Mr Burrows said, “the 2016/2017 contract would have been two separate arrangements: one for PMH proper and separate for the eye care centre. In the re-up of the contract both were brought under one agreement.”

Mr Burrows noted the board has also introduced a requirement to the tender process that mandates bidders identify any potential conflicts in interest, specifically familial ties to PHA or government officials.

He said the requirement was added last year, and stressed information put to the board did not suggest any of the bidders had such a conflict.

“The other thing we wanted to identify as a part of tender submission,” he said, “there is a requirement for all bidders to identify any potential conflicts in terms of relations with executives of PHA, and/or government officials, that may pose a conflict in terms of the implementation of the contract or compensation derived therefrom.”

He continued: “To the best of our knowledge and submissions received from all companies, even the ones not selected, no information was brought forward that would indicate there was any conflict.”

The $500,000 contract awarded to Magic Touch in 2016 was at the centre of the bribery and extortion trial of former PLP Senator Frank Smith, who was acquitted of all charges early this year. It was alleged that Mr Smith, who chaired the PHA at the time, had extorted monies from Mrs Hanna after she was awarded the PHA contract.

The government has filed an appeal in the matter.

Mrs Hanna’s cleaning company received a $1.9m contract with PHA less than three months after criminal charges were first brought against Mr Smith.