SJHRP is expected to be completed in September

The restoration of St. Jude Hospital will enter the final stages of completion in September. The government has allocated $75 million from the Saudi Fund for Development to speed up construction.

The contract has been awarded to two companies, Construction and Industrial Equipment Ltd. (CIE) and Caribbean Consulting Engineers (CCE), to ensure the hospital is completed on time. The final phase will focus on completing the new wing, external works and weather protection measures.

The contract will be signed in September and significant progress is expected to be made with the goal of getting the medical facility back in operation.

CIE construction manager Pawan Joshi recently assured a government inspection team: “The rest of the work will be completed soon and we will make good progress in the coming days.” He added that progress is being made at the site and some finer parts are yet to be completed.

A team led by Prime Minister Pierre, Health Minister Moses John Baptiste and other government officials visited the site this week to assess the status of construction.

Construction of the fire-damaged St. Jude Hospital Rehabilitation Center has also been controversial. Fire destroyed the medical facility in the south about 15 years ago, and since then, four consecutive governments have worked to complete the restoration of the site.

Recently, however, the Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP) government has committed to bringing the project to fruition. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Philip J Pierre, there has been a shift in construction policy aimed at effectively managing the project’s completion strategy.

On this week’s “Insider Public Health” radio show, Sylas Wilson, SJH Redevelopment Project Liaison Officer, reported, “There are no more delays at St. Jude Hospital.”

He added: “The contractor is mobilising all resources to ensure that we can start work immediately once the contract is signed on September 12.”

The government has awarded the contract for the hospital construction work to two companies. The contractors hired include CIE, which will be responsible for the construction work, and CCE, which will be responsible for supervising the project.

The companies were selected through an international bidding process conducted by the Ministry of Economic Development under the Ministry of Finance.

“All contracts have been fully negotiated and reviewed and are ready to be signed,” Wilson said.

Notably, completion of the hospital will reportedly involve extensive work, including building new wards, completing external works such as sewage systems and parking, and implementing climate-proofing measures.

The first phase is approximately 70% complete and involves electrical and plumbing work in several key buildings including the administration building, physiotherapy department, and laundry and kitchen areas.

Phase 2 of the project will focus on completing the east wing, surgical wards and other remaining buildings.

When completed, the Southern Medical Facility will consist of 12 buildings.