Sangre Grande Hospital aims to become internationally-accredited teaching facility

THE Eastern Regional Health Authority (ERHA) is aiming to have its major facility – the Sangre Grande Hospital – receive international accreditation when its expansion is completed in 2023.

At the ERHA’s public board meeting on Thursday, Amy Ali, commissioning manager for the $850 million facility said the new wing will upgrade the hospital to a teaching hospital.

The meeting was held at the Sangre Grande Civic Centre, Sukhram Street, Foster Road, Sangre Grande.

The new wing will increase the bed space from 144 beds to 250 and will see an improvement of current services as well as introduction of new ones. She said the facility will be partnering with tertiary-level institutions to offer training at both graduate and postgraduate levels, which will enhance its medical research capabilities.

“We will align our campus to international hospital accreditation standards, taking us to a higher level, giving us the true benefits from this project. The new wing is designed in accordance with international healthcare design guidelines and will be outfitted with all the furniture and fixings to promote the services that are going to be offered.”

Ali said, as a holistic approach the old facility will be upgraded to resemble that of the new wing, which will be completed and handed over by the end of next year.

During the question-and-answer segment of the meeting, ERHA’s chief executive officer Ronald Tsoi-a-Fatt said financing for the upgrade of the old wing to meet the new will come from the ERHA’s public service investment programme (PSIP). This upgrade will be done on a phased basis, he added.

The new wing will see the internal medicine and emergency services transferred to it. There will be three additional operating theatres for general surgery, urology, orthopedics and the re-introduction of the ear, nose and throat facilities.

The new wing will allow for an expansion of the outpatient clinics, she said with a focus on internal medicine, cardiology, neurology, gastroenterology along with the other aforementioned medical needs.

The expansion will create 1,100 new jobs which will be filled as approvals are granted by the Finance Ministry.

“We are taking a hard look at quality and working at strengthening our systems as we focus on strengthening our systems to establish international accreditation standards. This is the commitment that we want to give our community so that you will trust that when you come to us you will be well taken care of.”

Yolande Benjamin, general manager of finance for the ERHA, said in the 2021/2022 fiscal year the regional authority received $439,866,932 for recurring expenses and capital expenditure of $29,419,607.

She said supplemental funding was received during the mid-year review totalling $39,300,100. In the end the ERHA received $519,167,032, which was still short of its overall expenses of $563,381,455.

She said, for the period the medical expenses decreased to $7,543,550 as well as hospital refurbishment which dropped to $7,703,800. Physical investment increased to $6,661,568. These were all PSIP allocations, Benjamin said, adding that there are no rollover projects from fiscal 2021/2022, which she highlighted was a great achievement.

“We have completed our unaudited financials as at the end of 2020/2021, and it was submitted to the Auditor General just waiting to be audited.” Benjamin said the subsequent fiscal year is in the process of being completed.