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Specialty hospital forging ahead – Health Minister
By Zena Henry
Minister of Health Dr. Bheri Ramsaran has rejected claims that work on the multi-million-dollar Specialty Hospital has stalled. He was adamant at a press briefing yesterday that the “project is on and moving forward,” citing that there are processes and procedures to be followed which may be contributing to the slothfulness of progress.
Health Minister Dr. Bheri Ramsaran
The Minister was speaking about the preparation process before the actual building of the hospital. According to him, the Indian firm awarded the contract has already visited the country, while noting that the preparatory work for the hospital’s construction has been completed.
Dr. Ramsaran stressed that the Indian Government, the hospital’s financer, has raised no objections with the manner in which Guyana is handling the process and has released the money set aside for the health facility.
“The Indian government has raised no objections because they are fully in sync with what’s happening,” Ramsaran clarified.
He however mentioned that there was a challenge pertaining to the contract’s awardee.
“One company contested the contract; the contest was rejected after going through the correct process.” He stated that the challenge was rebuffed and pointed that any discrepancies pertaining to the hospital would be handled by the relevant government agencies, whether it is financial or legal. The contractors, he said, have that right to challenge the award of a contract through the correct process.
Minister Ramsaran reiterated that the hospital is on stream since, “I confirmed it with my Minister of Finance, because if there are any changes it will happen at the financial level.”
Ramsaran said the project was advertised through the tender board and “someone won it and we are dealing with that company. Any other side antic or side game, the relative support organizations and ministry in the government will have to deal with that. If it’s the Ministry of Legal Affairs or the Ministry of Finance, they will deal with it and advise us.”
On the start of the hospital, the Minister reminded that the Indian company has spoken to his permanent secretary and noted that the works will commence following the necessary processing. The project, he said, will be managed and supervised by the Guyana government, but the Export-Import Bank of India, from which the hospital’s US$18M is coming via a line of credit, will also play an integral role in overlooking the progress.
The Specialty Hospital is to be built at Turkeyen, East Coast Demerara. The announcement for construction was made in February of 2011 by former President Bharrat Jagdeo when he returned from India after securing an US$18M line of credit.
The Government had budgeted $150 million to commence the preparatory work and Cabinet awarded $97M to G. Bovell Construction Services in January 2012 to commence those works which included the construction of a fence, bridges and gateways.
Minister Ramsaran, when talking about the hospital, spoke keenly about health tourism, citing that Guyana was way behind in accessing specialty services that would now be available free of cost at the imminent health facility. He expressed delight while opining that Guyanese abroad would want to return to the country to access top level health services.
Apart from that, he noted that having a magnificent partnership with Cuba, it was his ministry’s view to be on par with the Spanish-speaking territory’s health system, noting that it has contributed immensely to this country’s health sector.
The specialty hospital, he noted, would be a “top-of-the-line” health facility which would provide accommodation for families of sick persons. That accommodation, he continued would be more like a hotel – since they would not wish to have those families, stay in a patient-like environment.
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