The site of the proposed Specialty Hospital was a hive of activity last Friday with white sand being delivered, nearly a year after preparatory site works began and less than two weeks after an advertisement appeared for the submission of expressions of interest (EoI) for the supply, delivery and stockpiling of white sand.
On December 22, 2012, an advertisement appeared in the Guyana Chronicle for the EoI at $1,800 per cubic metre of sand, which had a deadline date of 2 pm the next day. The advertisement came two days after Stabroek News reported that that project appeared stalled as a result of a hitch in the Indian financing, following controversy between two Indian companies over how the contract was awarded.
Government is responsible for preparing the site before the building of the US$18,180,000 ($3,689,616,400) specialty hospital commences. Contracts worth $98 million were awarded to G Bovell Construction Company back in January of last year to begin preparatory work. The money allocated was to go towards land filling and preparation, building of the fence to the property, laying of drains, installation of four bridges and gates as entrances and exits and an access road. The duration given for the completion of the site preparation works was slated as three months.
It is unclear why a contract was awarded for the delivery and stockpiling of sand when G Bovell Construction Company was already contracted to landfill the site. When Stabroek News tried contacting G Bovell Construction