The St Jude Hospital (SJH) project has entered a new stage after the official handing over of the completed hospital buildings from the contractor, Rayneau Gajadhar to the Ministry of Health and the Government of Saint Lucia. The handover ceremony, held on November 16 represented a milestone, but SJH communications officials stress that it did not mark the opening of the hospital. Instead, it formally signaled the beginning of the commissioning process.
Commissioning of the hospital will involve preparing the newly built facility to operate safely and effectively. This includes installing and testing medical equipment, transitioning staff and administrative services, training workers to use new systems, and ensuring that all departments are prepared before patients arrive and clinical operations can begin. The hospital does not have to be fully commissioned before accepting patients into commissioned departments.
According to Communications Specialist Jade Brown, St Jude Hospital is now in phase one of this process. She explained that this phase involves relocating administrative and support services to the new Augier site, beginning with the finance department, which has already started operations at the permanent hospital location. Other departments scheduled to follow include the kitchen, laundry department, and physiotherapy.
This week, physiotherapy services at the George Odlum Stadium were temporarily suspended to facilitate the move. A press release issued on November 18, confirmed that physiotherapy services will resume on November 24, at the official St. Jude Hospital Augier site. The release explained that the brief pause is necessary to ensure a safe and efficient transition.
In the interview with St. Lucia Times, Brown emphasised that one of the main factors slowing the transition of clinical departments is the delayed arrival of medical equipment. She noted that shipments were affected by the passage of Hurricane Melissa, which pushed back the arrival of several containers. Last week, the contractor confirmed that three containers of medical equipment have arrived on the island. More shipments are expected, with Brown noting the total number of containers carrying equipment and furniture is believed to be more than twenty, though she is awaiting a final update from the contractor.
Amid public questions about the continued presence of the contractor on site even after the handover, Brown clarified that this is part of the normal commissioning process. She explained that the contractor is still responsible for receiving equipment, transporting it to the facility, storing it securely, installing it in the appropriate departments, and assisting with staff training. She stressed that handing over the keys does not mean the contractor’s work is finished, particularly because this phase involves complex and sensitive medical technology.
Brown also addressed one of the most common questions circulating among the public: why patients have not yet been moved into the new hospital. She explained that despite the buildings being complete, it would be unsafe to relocate patients until all equipment is installed, tested, and operational, and staff have been fully trained. In a Facebook post earlier this year, Gajadhar confirmed that he would be remaining on site for three months after the hospital hand over to facilitate the transition and to ensure that everything runs smoothly. She compared the process to moving into a new home, where it is important to address smaller, manageable tasks before undertaking more complex ones. Departments such as administration, physiotherapy, and laundry can transition earlier, while departments responsible for critical care, such as ICU, will only move once systems are thoroughly prepared.
As for what comes next, Brown explained that the commissioning team, made up of doctors, nurses, technocrats, representatives from the Ministry of Economic Development, and members of the contractor’s team, is continuing to assess the hospital’s readiness. Once the remaining medical equipment arrives and is installed, the team will determine the next departments to transition into the new site.
