Proceeding ahead of schedule on the new wing.

Works on the spanking new, modern, state-of-the-art in-patient facility being constructed at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation is progressing ahead of schedule.

The wing is being built at a cost of $1.8B and is slated for completion by August next year.

Health Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy recently visited and found that pile driving activities have been completed, and works on the foundation of walls and supporting columns for the construction of the first floor of the facility are progressing.

The Minister expressed satisfaction with the pace of the works which are two months ahead of schedule.

He reminded the workmen of the necessity of completing the job on time.

The construction of the facility is in keeping with the administration’s thrust of improving the quality and efficacy of health care services by modernising and upgrading health care facilities countrywide.

The upgrade of the facility is being conducted within the GPHC’s master plan and the national development strategy.

According to the Minster, the aim is also to integrate and consolidate in-patient services which are currently dispersed at the institution.

The new wing is being constructed to accommodate approximately 300 in-patients; and upon completion of the first phase, surgical patients will be transferred to the surgical ward of the upgraded facility.

Each bed in the new facility will be equipped with modernised centralised monitoring devices such as gas masks and heart and blood pressure monitors.

Some 65 doctors and 60 nurses have already been identified to man the new wing.  

Meanwhile, services are continuing as per normal at the hospital as the institution has taken steps to temporarily relocate departments which were located in and around the construction site. 

The Gynaecology Clinic was re-sited to ward E, southern compound, the Low Vision Centre to the multi-purpose room area (beneath the medical library) and the Public Safety Department (internal security) shifted to the ground floor of the administrative building (information desk area).

The project is being executed by R. Basso Contracting Firm.