Contractor ordered to redo Health Centre foundation

Nov 01, 2018 News

The Supply Health Centre under construction

Work on the Supply Health Centre, on the East Bank of Demerara, is now in jeopardy after a decision was taken that the contractor must redo the foundation.

The project was halted by Region Four’s Regional Executive Officer (REO), Pauline Lucas, after it was discovered that the contractor – Navin and Sons – cast the foundation of the building without removing a tree stump.

According to regional officials, the project has failed owing to independent test results that were conducted on the foundation. As such, the contractor would be tasked with redoing it.

Lucas has disclosed this decision to several regional councillors in response to questions and concerns about the project.

REO Lucas told the Regional Councillors that while she had sought help from the Ministry of Public Infrastructure regarding the testing of the foundation, she wanted to be certain, and therefore sought a second opinion.

This, she said, resulted in a request to the University of Guyana to conduct another test.

However, the findings by the university were completely different from that of the Ministry, which had given the green light for the works to resume utilising the foundation.

“Testing conducted on the foundation by the University of Guyana found two columns at 1500 PSI with one column having about 1700 PSI. Another is just about 2700 PSI, so everything failed according to the University of Guyana. The University of Guyana also conducts several tests on behalf of the Ministry of Public Infrastructure,” Lucas noted.

The REO noted that this led to a third test.

She opted for a joint test involving both the University and the Ministry, along with a representative of the contractor.

Lucas stated that the third test found that the foundation was below acceptable standards.

She informed councillors that her immediate course of action would be to write the contractor, after which legal action would follow suit. She stressed that she had no intention of accepting any sloppy or poor quality of work.

“I will be writing the contractor shortly, indicating that in our view, the project has failed, and he would have to redo the foundation and columns again at his own expense, failing which, I would seek other legal action to be taken against the contractor,” Lucas indicated.

Adding their voices to the condemnation of the contractor’s actions, several councillors openly expressed their support of the actions taken by the REO.

Regional Councillor Ali Majeed told his colleagues that he has visited the site of the project and is concerned over the on-site conduct and state of the compound questioning whether the contractors have had any prior experience with similar or such large projects.

He said that the manner in how they are carrying out the project certainly leaves much to be desired.

“I am truly disappointed in how these guys have had the place, as this is certainly bothering me, because in my view they don’t have a sense of responsibility in executing such projects,” Majeed said.

The project was awarded earlier this year for $30.1M with construction slated to be completed this year, but from all appearances, the project will rollover into 2019.

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