St. Jude Hospital (SJH) marks a somber anniversary on September 9, 2024, 15 years after a fire destroyed part of the facility. The fire killed three people, leaving a gap in healthcare services that remains unresolved.
The Hospital Reconstruction Project has been a contentious issue for four consecutive administrations, costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.
A major step forward occurred in 2023 when the Phillip J. Pierre administration secured a $75 million development loan from the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) to help complete the long-overdue project.
A contract signing ceremony is scheduled for September 12 at the Finance Administrative Centre in Castries, marking the start of the final reconstruction phase.
“There are no more delays at St. Jude,” said SJH Reconstruction Project Liaison, Sylas Wilson, on the Ministry of Health’s “Public Health Insider” radio program on August 21, 2024. “The contractor is mobilizing all of his resources to ensure that as soon as September 12 comes and the contracts are signed, we can hit the ground running.”
Contracts have been awarded to two firms: Construction and Industrial Equipment Ltd (CIE), which will manage construction work, and Caribbean Consulting Engineers (CCE), for project oversight. The firms were selected through an international tender process run by the Ministry of Finance.
Representatives from the SFD, including the CEO will attend the signing. “All of the contracts have been fully negotiated and vetted, and they’re ready for signing,” Wilson said.
The remaining work includes building new wings, completing external projects like sewage systems and parking, and adding climate-proofing measures.
Phase Two of the project will complete the East Wing, Surgical Wing, and other unfinished structures. Phase One, which is about 70% done, covered electrical plumbing work in several key buildings, including the Administrative Building and Physiotherapy Division.
Once finished, the hospital will feature 12 buildings.
Source/Photo Credit: St Lucia Government
Video Credit: St. Lucia Government
