The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

RENOVATIONS at Princess Margaret Hospital are on target to be completed in the next several weeks, Health and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville said yesterday.

The minister gave an update on ongoing works to the hospital’s infrastructure ahead of yesterday’s Cabinet meeting.

“I’m pleased to report over the Christmas holiday our construction crew at the Princess Margaret Hospital, we are currently in the process of renovating male medical to female surgical one, the basement of the eyewall,” he said.

“All of these projects are ongoing and sometime tomorrow we will be in Grand Bahama, where we will issue some contracts as it relates to the modular units that have been sitting in Grand Bahama.”

Dr Darville said the modular units were purchased several months ago, but admitted that there was a delay in setting up the structures due to logistical issues.

“These are hurricane-resistant units. They are prefabricated. They will give additional space to the accident emergency. They would also be able to do a better job for COVID management at the Rand Memorial Hospital and the Princess Margaret Hospital. So, I’m pleased to report to the Bahamian people that we are on target.“

“And very soon, hopefully, I may be able to take the media on a tour of what we are doing at the hospital.”

Dr Darville said contractors have been working day and night to meet their construction deadline, adding “we believe that this is the only way to get the renovations done.”

It was previously reported that hospital renovations would take place for approximately 14 weeks.

The health minister continued: “It’s very difficult to renovate wards with patients on the wards. You have to move them, you have to disassemble, you have to do demolition, and then you need to come behind and get it done right without putting our patients and staff at risk.”

Last month, an agreement to allow for the transfer of PMH patients to Doctors Hospital West to facilitate much needed repairs at PMH was announced.

Officials said at the time that some patients will be moved to the facility on Blake Road at a cost of some $2m to $2.5m.

It is not clear how many patients have been moved from PMH to Doctors Hospital to date.

“I cannot give you an exact amount,” Dr Darville replied when asked about the matter, “but I can tell you as of the weekend we have taken out female surgical one and we had a surplus of influx at our accident emergency.”

“We will be able to give you a better update with those numbers probably sometime tomorrow, but I can tell you as of yesterday (Monday) and the day before, ambulances as well as support from Doctors Hospital have been moving patients to Doctors Hospital West as part of the agreement as we move ahead with the renovations at the Princess Margaret Hospital.”

Among the departments undergoing renovations include PMH’s Accident and Emergency Department.

“We’re in phase two of that renovation and that should be completed soon and then we have to go into phase three,” Dr Darville added.

Work is also underway to improve several clinics in New Providence, including the Elizabeth Estates clinic, South Beach clinic, the Blue Hill Road clinic and others.

“The other clinics which is our urgent care facilities like the Fleming Street Clinic and Flamingo Gardens is taking the brunt of our primary health care traffic,” the health minister added, “and we are mindful that that is creating a lot of stress on the staff at those facilities, but these steps for renovating the physical plant at the Ministry of Health is absolutely necessary in order to provide the services efficiently and effectively at all of our primary and tertiary healthcare facilities.”