The signing ceremony for The St. Jude Hospital Reconstruction Project (SJHRP) is scheduled to take place at 10:00am on Friday at the Finance Administrative Centre in Castries.
At the ceremony, the Government of Saint Lucia will award two locally based construction firms: Construction Industrial Equipment Limited (CIE) for civil works and Caribbean Consulting Engineers Limited for design supervision of the reconstruction project.
Via a media release from the government, Permanent Secretary in the Department of Economic Development, Paul Hilaire shared, “The contract will cover the remainder of the buildings, which is not part of the four buildings, that as you heard, are almost 70% complete.”
Through progress updates on the SJHRP, it was reported that construction of four buildings on the hospital construction site were underway but halted due to shipping delays of incoming materials.
Hilaire also explained, “For both contracts, it had to be done with a joint venture arrangement, the joint venture for the civil works will be a Saudi firm and the CIE which is the local firm … Likewise with the supervision and design, it’s also a joint venture, and that was a requirement of the funding.”
The original St. Jude Hospital was destroyed by a fire on September 9, 2009, resulting in three deaths.
Since then, medical staff have provided health services to the island’s southern population in a retrofitted George Odlum National Stadium.
The current administration began reconstruction at the hospital’s original location in November 2022.
On August 3, 2023, Prime Minister. Philip J Pierre secured $201 million from the Saudi Fund for Development to cover the cost to complete the reconstruction.
An official report from the Government disclosed that part of the funds will also be used to rehabilitate the George Odlum National Stadium.
Loan secured in August 2023. One year later contract signed for works to commence. No sense of urgency. Meanwhile every day our families and loved ones are dying because of lack of basic medical care. Imagine going into a hospital to treat a regulation cut and coming out dead. Y’all don’t see these jokers are taking us for a ride. Meanwhile carnival and Jazz dates and funds for 2025 and 2026 even already budgeted for
Oh my, the flambos must be burning inside. In the meeting of September 22, I want to hear what new policies they are coming with. Tell us if they will increase the payment for more CXC subjects or if they will remove it. If they will increase scholarships for young people or if they will remove it. These are things we want to hear. If they talk about CIP tell us the number of passports sold from 2016 to 2021.
@Troy Francis, are you that lazy? The number of passports applications granted during UWP term is right there on the CIP St Lucia website at the bottom under Annual Report, the total was 871. You know what is not shown on the website, information after the first year of SLP’s term. 433 applications were granted in the first year SLP took office, more than half compared to the previous 5 years. You need to start asking the current government how many passports have they granted after 2022.
Oh Really, do you truly believe it’s only 871 passports that was sold? Knowing the amount of LIES peddling by the present UWP, St. Lucians will never believed its only 871 passports sold. Can someone verify if the 871 is correct. Oh were they sold by Teo Aking?
Bolo Byron, the information is on the website which the current government maintains. I also believe that information is audited. Personally I will never know the truth on that note. People keep glossing over the fact that there has not been an audit done for the last 3 years and yet still the government keeps dipping their hands into the pot.