Government signs MOU for five new projects

Construction on five new projects intended to enhance health services in St Vincent and the Grenadines will begin in upcoming weeks.

The signing of memoranda of understanding between the Government of St Vincent and the Grenadines, the European Union and five local contractors, {{more}}paved the way for phase one of the tenth European Development Fund (EDF) to commence with the renovations to the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital and the Mental Health Centre at Glen.

The project, dubbed the Modernization of the Health Sector of St Vincent and the Grenadines, will also see the construction of three doctors’ quarters in Canouan, Sandy Bay and Chateaubelair, as well as a staff hostel in Union Island.

“The total value of this phase is 8.3 million Euros, or EC$30.3 million. The EU in phase one is providing 6.69 million Euros or EC$24.4 million in grant funding to the project while the Government of St Vincent and the Grenadines is financing the remaining 1.61 million Euros, or EC$5.9 million from its own local sources,” Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves told a packed cabinet room on Tuesday.

Present at the signing was Mikael Barford, European Union Ambassador to the OECS, representatives from the Ministry of Health, including Health Minister Clayton Burgin, and representatives of the five contracting firms who won bids to develop the projects.

Gonsalves, giving the details to the projects, indicated that work on the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital include the refurbishment of the operating theatres, maternity ward A and sluice, the female surgical ward, the intensive care unit and the kitchen.

At the Mental Health Centre, work is scheduled to be done on the toilet facilities, kitchen, and reconstruction of the area of the centre that was damaged by fire recently.

The contracts for these works were awarded to a local contracting firm Hutchinson Contracting Company Limited, and are valued at EC$9.1 million.

They are scheduled to begin by the end of August, and expected to run concurrently.

The Prime Minister also pointed out that the work on the staff hostel and doctors quarters were expected to commence around the same time, and that the contracts for these projects were awarded to Gibson Construction, Williams Electronics Services, Frederick Construction and Fraser Construction.

Ambassador Barford told the gathering that the signing of the contracts will soon make improved health care in St Vincent and the Grenadines a reality, and that this was due to years of collaboration with the Government and people of St Vincent and the Grenadines.

The ambassador said that it was a major accomplishment to reach to the point they were at on the day.

“This programme was developed by you the people; this commitment by the people of St Vincent and the Grenadines is reflected by the action of the Government by contributing no less than EC$7.7 million to the programme and that confirms our collaboration as partners.

“I look forward to continued collaboration as partners in development of the health sector for the benefit of the people of St Vincent and the Grenadines,” Barford said.

Barfod also informed the gathering that this country’s Government’s request for EC$24 million, to be used to support the reconstruction efforts after the Christmas eve floods, has been approved by the European Union.(JJ)