Prime Minister Philip J Pierre has reported that there was a substantial progress in the rehabilitation and construction works at the St. Jude Hospital Reconstruction Project in Vieux Fort.
Four buildings on the compound are nearing completion, with the installation of essential equipment underway.
The PM emphasized that the focus is on ensuring efficient service delivery rather than just the physical structure of the hospital. He also mentioned that the air-conditioning system is being installed before the ceiling works are completed.
The Prime Minister addressed the tendering process, highlighting that the cost of expenditure for the St Jude Hospital project is determined through an international tender.
The Tenders Board has met to review the second stage of the hospital construction and it has now gone to the Saudis for a “No Objection” assessment he told reporters, at a media briefing on Monday.
He assured that the estimated final cost for the remainder of work will be made available soon and expressed optimism about the project’s progress.
The government is committed to ensuring that the St Jude Hospital meets the needs of the people of Saint Lucia. After the ST Jude Hospital was devastated by fire in 2019, a comprehensive planning, construction works, and structural adaptations have been implemented.
In 2021, the Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP) administration appointed a five-member committee to review the St. Jude Hospital Reconstruction Project. The committee was tasked to review the options for completion and commissioning of the St. Jude Hospital and to report its findings.
The St. Jude Hospital fire claimed the lives of three individuals and injured several others. Reports indicate that the hospital had been eighty percent (80%) completed, with a secured loan for its completion, and a French-trained transition and commissioning team in place when the SLP administration held office, from 2011-2016.
On a previous media tour of the site, the project manager disclosed that the structures which existed in 2016 would require years before completion because the buildings had been repurposed by the former United Workers Party (UWP) administration. Two of the pre-existing structures were demolished and others were abandoned and replaced with cladding shells.
The government says it is dedicated to providing accessible and humane healthcare for the people of Saint Lucia amidst the controversy and challenges surrounding the project.
“We are very optimistic that St Jude is going to be, where it has to be for people of Saint Lucia,” PM Pierre asserted.