Govt, Chinese sign contract for new block at PoSGH

The government has signed a contract with the Shanghai Construction (Caribbean) Group Ltd for the construction of a new central block at the Port of Spain General Hospital (PoSGH).

The signing was done by Udecott director Jacqui Ganteaume-Farrell, and Michael Zhang, MD, SCG (Caribbean) at the Diplomatic Centre yesterday. It was witnessed by Chris Jagroop, acting CEO of Udecott, and Xue Younshen of SCG, as well as the Prime Minister, the Chinese Ambassador to TT Song Yumin, and health minister Terrence Deyalsingh.

BothDr Rowley and Deyalsingh said plans were afoot for the demolition of the block since before the 6.9 earthquake that shook TT last year.

Rowley said: “We had known from a while back that the old colonial building was on its last legs.

"In 2009 the engineering assessment of that building, which housed over 400 beds, being our main hospital in the city of PoS, was deemed to be engineeringly unsound.

"But the frightening urgency came home to us and to me in particular (when) this building (the diplomatic centre) cracked, but my ears opened while being frozen in the shock of the earthquake, listening as to whether the central block will collapse, because I knew it was in great danger.

"Fortunately the building rode out the earthquake, but the engineering assessment after was that it is now imperative that we evacuate the building.

"So this project to demolish that building and to build a new hospital block to treat with the hundreds of patients (540 beds), and the demands of the population and the range of services will require that we have more accommodation. But it comes at a time of a financial crunch and it is in this condition that we had approached the marketplace for the best proposal.”

He said SCG offered the best proposal in terms of value for money and delivery of the facility.

“This project is one of great significance, particularly coming at this time because a nation’s wealth is its health. It matters not what other priorities we might set at the level of government and the economists who tell us what should happen, with all things being equal. If ill health breaks out in the country, the population will have to respond to it by giving that the status of number one priority.

He said that was why this project had taken on such priority regardless of the currernt economic circumstances.

Rowley also spoke of Chinese assistance in the supply of 200 motorcycles for the police, which are due to arrive very soon to beef up patrols throughout the country.

Also, as part of its economic diversification effort, TT is going into the business of ship servicing. Rowley said an MOU with China is now being worked on as a result.

“We want such building be done in equity participation so that upon conclusion you don’t just walk away as a contractor, but would remain to see out the success of the project by holding equity. The Chinese have agreed to a 33 per cent sharing of the risk.

"We now await the outcome of the assessment of what is being done on that project and hopefully we can progress in this way to economic diversification.”

Rowley closed by thanking all involved in the hospital project and asked the contractor to give TT value for money and deliver to its people as quickly as possible a modern hospital to replace the antiquated and obsolete central block.

Huang Rong, deputy secretary general of theShanghai Municipal People’s Government, earlier congratulated the TT 4X400 men’s relay team, who won the IAAF World Championship gold medal yesterday in Japan.

He also praised the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between TT and China and congratulated Udecott and the Shanghai Construction (Caribbean) Group on the signing of the contract.

Deyalsingh said the last major upgrade to the 180-year-old hospital was the central block some 60 years ago.

“I am hoping that this new facility that is going to be built will last another 180 years, similarly to the enduring relationship that exists between China and TT,” said Deyalsingh.

He said it was Rowley’s advocacy that made yesterday’s event possible.