The Government of Guyana is gearing up to construct a new nursing school in New Amsterdam along the main road where the old New Amsterdam hospital was once located.
Regional Chairman, David Armogan on Thursday said that preparatory works are ongoing as according to him a contractor from the Corentyne was awarded the contract.
However, according to a source, the project was sub-contracted to Chinese nationals.
Armogan on Thursday said land clearing was carried out while land fulling will soon be done.
“The project is to build a nursing school on the old hospital land and we want to build accommodations as well so that nurses can come from outside of this region, live and study there.”
Sources yesterday told the Sunday Stabroek that the sod-turning exercise will shortly be done.
In January, President Irfaan Ali had turned the sod to commence the construction of the US$161 million New Amsterdam General Hospital which will be located in Fort Canje Berbice, a stone’s throw away from the present hospital.
At the ceremony, President Ali stated that the new four-storey hospital will mark a significant step towards establishing a Level Five health facility in Region Six, highlighting that the hospital will not be a standalone facility but will operate on a hub-and-spokes mechanism, connecting health centres in the region through telemedicine.
The new hospital will include a minimum of five operating theatres, one specifically catering for cardiac surgeries, along with advanced digital X-ray, and CT scans.
Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony had said that the hospital will be the second public facility to house an MRI machine and will be equipped for transplants.
Two additional buildings will be constructed within the hospital’s compound: a teaching facility and a modern psychiatric facility.
Armogan on Thursday said that the training facility at the hospital will be smaller compared to the one which will be built in New Amsterdam, stressing that housing will be constructed at that location.
The new hospital project is being executed by VAMED Engineering and President Ali had said he hoped it can be completed in 30 months.
Comparing a level five hospital to a five-star hotel because of its modernised features, Ali said, “It offers the best of the best, the first in class, the highest level of service.”
He stressed that there were components that needed to work in cohesion to ensure that the level five hospital operated at its highest capacity.
