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Delayed works on Port Kaituma hospital… Main building contractor not responsible for delay of project
- Six other contractors to wrap-up works within three months
The completed main building of the Port Kaituma Hospital which was constructed by R. Bassoo and Sons Construction Company.
Although several aspects of the works on the Region One Port Kaituma Hospital are lagging behind, Managing Director of R. Bassoo and Sons Construction Company, Mr. Roy Bassoo, has assured that the aspect that his company was contracted to do has been completed in its entirety.
Bassoo’s disclosure in this regard came on the heels of a report carried by this publication highlighting that Senior Minister of Public Health, Ms. Volda Lawrence, was concerned about the delay of the completion of the works on the hospital. In order to ascertain the cause for the delay, Lawrence had travelled to the Region One area to meet with those responsible for the project.
The Ministry had earlier named R. Bassoo and Sons Construction Company as the contractor of the project. But according to Bassoo, his company was only contracted to construct the main building of the hospital to the tune of $374 million. The entire project is valued at $700 million.
Bassoo explained yesterday that the works his company completed represented the initial phase of the project.
“We were given our practical completion certificate on December 1, 2016, because we completed the project to the satisfaction of the Ministry,” said Bassoo, as he made it clear that the defects and liability period for his company’s aspect of the project came to an end on the very date that the certificate was handed over.
His account was yesterday corroborated by Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Public Health, Mr. Terrence Esseboom.
“Bassoo did the main building; they have finished their work…they were not thrown out, but there are other contractors who have other elements of the project to do,” Esseboom said yesterday.
The Public Relations Officer moreover shared with this publication the names of the other companies that have been tasked with conducting the other aspects of the project which are yet to be completed.
The contractors responsible for other aspects of the project are: Alvin Chowramootoo, N and A Constructions, Cummings Electrical, Satar Mohamed and Son Construction and Hardware Supplies, J. R. Edmondson Building Works and Integrated Works. The Supervisory Consultancy firm for the project is Kalitech Inc.
While Chowramootoo is tasked with completing the mortuary and admin building, N and A Constructions, according to Esseboom, is responsible for the Infectious Diseases building. Cummings Electrical is tasked with the electrical works, Satar Mohamed has responsibility for construction of the nurses’ quarters and J. R. Edmondson has been contracted to construct the doctors’ quarters. Meanwhile, Integrated Works has been contracted to undertake some special installation works.
Given the various incomplete aspects of the project, Minister Lawrence during her visit to Port Kaituma demanded that a completion date be identified. This publication was informed that the contractor experiencing the most difficulties is Chowramootoo.
However, it is expected that all works will wrap-up within the next three months.
“The project has been going on for too long and the Minister needs the works to be completed at the soonest possible time,” said Esseboom, as he noted that currently no precise date for completion of works has been identified.
Minister Lawrence during her recent visit said, “We cannot allow this project to keep continuing. So the new hospital must get going. We must have a completion date for the opening of that hospital or we will just be spending money at two ends of the stick, and that is not what we have set out in the programme,” said the Minister as she observed the need for the new hospital to come on stream urgently.
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