Gas lines have been installed at the Ocean View facility as construction is still underway to complete an Intensive Care Unit and retrofit the facility to house patients.
This was disclosed by Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony in an interview with Stabroek News yesterday where he stated that construction is still ongoing at the facility at Liliendaal even as persons are being housed at the facility. Currently, he said, works are ongoing outside the building as workers are fixing the water storage area and working to install a sewerage system.
“On the inside they are currently trying to finish the ICU and they have finished running the lines on the various gases, however we still have to wait on some specialized pieces of equipment that would keep the gas flowing and so forth,” Dr Anthony was quoted as saying.
He added that along with the equipment for the ICU, some more equipment was ordered for the facility’s operating theatre. When that work is finished, the minister informed that provisions are being made for 29 beds and a recovery area. “So in all there will be more than 29 beds in the ICU,” he said.
Speaking on plans for the facility, the minister explained, “We’re also started working on an area for a pharmacy so that patients who are there can have access to medication and that is more or less up and running and we will be stocking it shortly.” He also mentioned that they are in the process of installing the X-Ray unit as part of the hospital’s diagnostic department.
“We have over $700 million allocated for works to be done at Liliendaal. I can’t say exactly how much we have spent to date but we are working with the budget,” the minister assured. He also emphasised that the focus is on getting the facility completed for patients and as such there are no plans to have the hospital commissioned for a second time.
