CONSTRUCTION on the long dormant St John Polyclinic is scheduled to restart on March 15, says Minister of Health Donville Inniss.
Speaking on Sunday night at Sherbourne, St John, at a by-election meeting in support of Democratic Labour Party (DLP) candidate Mara Thompson, Inniss said the ten tenders received by Government to do the work ranged between $15.9 million and $22 million. He did not disclose who had won the tender.
“Fifteen companies collected the documents and ten companies tendered, and those who tendered did so between $15 901 000.66 to $22 070 872.98 million. The
matter was considered by the tenders committee which made their recommendations to the Ministry of Health a few months ago. Since then we have sought permission from the Ministry of Finance in a supplementary to get funds to pay off the professional services that are outstanding as well as to commence work on the St John Polyclinic this financial year,” he said.
Inniss stated that the completed Gall Hill facility would not only cater to the needs of St John folk and those from surrounding areas, but would take significant pressure of other polyclinics.
He said apart from the standard doctors and nurses’ offices, treatment rooms and asthma bay, the new polyclinic would include mental health and paramedical services. He explained that if one of the major health problems in Barbados was diabetes or chronic non-communicable diseases, it was incumbent to have services such as podiatry in a modern polyclinic system.
Inniss revealed that the facility would have an ambulance bay since it was crucial that service was further decentralised. He added that the polyclinic would have accommodation for environmental health officers as well as facilities for the constituency council, welfare office and other social agencies. A state-of-the-art library utilising the latest technology would also be featured, Inniss added. (WG)
