The sod was turned on Monday afternoon for a state-of-the-art $70 million mortuary in the compound of the National Psychiatric Hospital at New Amsterdam.
The new mortuary is expected to be 3,000 square-feet, with a gallery for the viewing of post-mortem examinations, a freezer, chapel and an administrative section.
It was also noted, that the mortuary would also be equipped to handle infectious bodies.
Minister of Public Health Volda Lawrence along with other senior health officials was present for the ceremony.
A Department of Public Information (DPI) report that was published yesterday said the contract for the project has been awarded to Andre Vincente Construction Services, which has assured that the building will be completed by the end of December; although the contract caters for a ten-month project period.
The construction of this new mortuary follows a visit by Minister of Public Health Volda Lawrence to the New Amsterdam Regional Hospital in late 2018. The DPI report said the minister was dissatisfied with the location of the facility and the staff also raised concerns about the capacity and condition of the building, while noting that the hospital environs were not the most suitable location for it.
Permanent Secretary for the ministry, Colette Adams, and a representative of the contracting firm executing the project, Ken Vincente, signed the agreement to initiate the commencement of construction.
