In an effort to ensure that health care facilities on the island of Eleuthera are compliant with National Health Insurance [NHI] standards, the Minister of Health and Wellness, the Hon. Dr. Michael Darville signed multiple contracts with Higgs Construction to carry out needed repairs and improvements.
At the signing event Minister Darville said, “I’m happy that finally the residents of Eleuthera could rest assured that the government and the Ministry of Health and Wellness is doing all in our remit to ensure that we provide quality services to the residents here on the island of Eleuthera.”
The Minister executed five contracts valued at more than $250,000. The expected works will take place at facilities in Hatchet Bay, Lower Bogue, Spanish Wells, Harbour Island, James Cistern. Outlining the cost of the works at individual facilities, Darville said, “James Cistern is a smaller clinic and its comes in at a price of around $39,694.49. Hatchet Bay clinic have quite a bit of roof work, that comes in at $108,260.98. And the Lower Bogue clinic after our quantity surveyor had the assessment, this clinic come in at a cost of $247,872.18.” The work in Spanish Wells will be just over $100,000.
A doctor stationed on the island welcomed the improvements saying, “as you may know that the Family Islands have tend to be left on the back burner when it comes to health care but these infrastructural upgrades will serve as the betterment of the community.”
A health care worker in Spanish Wells also approved of the coming repairs telling ZNS news, “we really think that its going to improve the services of health care here in Spanish Wells.”
Phase three of the health ministry’s improvement and repair program, funded by the Inter American Development Bank [IDB] is expected in 2023.