The PPP/C government will spend $790m this year to operationalise the $1.6b Infectious Diseases Hospital.
This was stated yesterday by Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill during the 2020 National Budget speech at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre where the 12th parliament is meeting. The Minister stated that the government upon assumption of office had changed the dynamics of the country’s response to the virus.
According to Edghill, some $790 million in addition to the $1.6 billion that was “already sunk” into the controversial infectious disease facility at Liliendaal, will be allocated to operationalise the facility. He noted that the current government, upon examination of the facility found it to be lacking in adequate facilities for its intended use. “The touted hospital for infectious diseases at Liliendaal was examined by this new Administration and was found to be a shell – beautifully painted but lacking in facilities that could be used as a response to COVID-19,” the minister told parliament in the absence of the opposition APNU+AFC..