Prime Minister, the Hon. Philip Davis addressed healthcare in Parliament on Wednesday. During his presentation he spoke about the improvements being made to healthcare infrastructure around the country including the new hospital under construction in Grand Bahama.
Mr. Davis said, “we all agree that the people of Grand Bahama have lived too long without a modern, resilient healthcare facility capable of withstanding disasters and meeting the needs of a growing community. Our professionals are doing their best but there’s only so much even the most skilled and committed workers can do with aging infrastructure that was never designed for modern demands and systems that were never built for the volume of patients who rely on them today.”
The Freeport Health Campus will be built in three phases. The first a clinic, the second phase will include a surgical suite and the third phase a 126 bed acute care hospital.
The Prime Minister said, “it is a shame that it has taken as long as it has for successive governments to take this important step to improve healthcare in Grand Bahama. Fortunately, real progress has been made toward changing the reality of healthcare in Grand Bahama.”
Minister of Health and Wellness, the Hon. Dr. Michael Darville also addressed Parliament on Wednesday. He provided details of the funding for the Freeport Health Campus. He said, “this CIBC loan funding also captured funding for the Freeport Health Campus. But I’m pleased to report that recent capital injection into the project at the Freeport Health Campus has boost the construction speed. The design drawings are now moving more rapidly including the purchase of the necessary long lead items.”
Dr. Darville revealed that more than 125 construction workers are on working on the site. The Freeport Health Campus is being constructed at a cost of approximately $210 million and is expected to be complete in 2026.
