An operating theatre at the Suddie Public Hospital, in Region Two, is now closer to reality as Cabinet recently noted the award of a $40.9 million contract for its construction.
This is one of four multi-million dollar contracts under the Ministry of Communities which engaged the attention of Cabinet last Tuesday, Minister of State Joseph Harmon disclosed during Friday’s post-Cabinet press briefing.
Harmon told reporters that the contract was awarded to Builders Hardware and General Supplies.
A month after taking up office in 2015, then Minister of Public Health Dr. George Norton had expressed dismay at the state of the Suddie Public Hospital, inclusive of the operating theatre and signalled that major work would have to be undertaken.
Dr. Norton made these observations during a visit in June, 2015.
The operating theatre, which was constructed more than five years prior, was not functioning due to the slipshod work done by the contractor. The tiled walls were found to be hollow and electrical works were badly done.
The theatre of this hospital could best be described as “scandalous,” Norton said at the time.
“…It is a disgrace to see what persons might have approved and written off as work they were paid so much to do…the walls are literally hollow, even though it is tiled, and my impression is that you’ve got to break everything down. I am one of the persons who said we are not here to break and build over, but I think in this case, if we want the best for the citizens of the Region, then we have got to do better, we got to break down this theatre, and build a new one,” he was quoted as saying at the time.
The theatre later became dysfunctional and patients requiring emergency surgery were referred to Georgetown via ambulance.
Regional Chairman Devenand Ramdatt at a press conference in January had announced that a new operating theatre would be built sometime this year.
Meanwhile, Harmon on Friday also informed that Cabinet had also noted the award of a $26.5 million contract for the rehabilitation of the landfill at Esplanade, New Amsterdam, in Region Six, to Advanced Environmental Solutions Incorporated; a $45 million contract to Industrial Supply of Guyana Incorporated for the supply and delivery of a new, international garbage truck for the Communities Ministry; and a $41.3 million contract to SKRN Egineeering and Associates Limited for the provision of consultancy services for the design, and supervision for the construction of regional administrative building in Linden, Region Ten.
Cabinet, Harmon said, also noted a $119.9 million Ministry of Public Health contract awarded to New GPC Incorporated for the supply and delivery of medical equipment. Two contracts, totalling $71.8 million, were also awarded for the supply and delivery of stationery supplies to Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation; the first contract, valued at $27.1 million, was awarded to Massy Technology (Guyana) Limited and the other, valued at $44.6 million, went to Andrews Enterprise.
