PICTURED ABOVE The Minister of Health Senator Dr. The Most Honourable Jerome Walcott, aboard the large caterpillar turning the soil as his groundbreaking task.
During the first week of November 2020 Government announced the construction of a new Geriatric Hospital to replace the existing plant at Beckles Road, St. Michael, which was built in the 19th Century.
Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley, in making the announcement during a tour of the Sagicor Estates at St. George multi-million-dollar project at that time said that the multi-purpose hospital will be located at Waterford, within the environs of the National Botanical Gardens.
She told the gathering, which included Cabinet Ministers and bankers, that the present plant had presented some difficulties to nursing staff, having to navigate the movement of the acute patients, among the more than 200 patient population at the hospital.
Given this situation, the Prime Minister emphasised the need for a purpose-built facility that addressed the acute needs of the elderly who “do not have the support system or the finances in order to support themselves”.
Today some three years after that announcement the groundbreaking took place on a sunny Monday afternoon, but somehow the Prime Minister was unable to attend.
The event started with the Protocol Greeting by Mr. Joseph Steinbok, Project Manager, Managing Director, Steinbok Management Services.
Below is his text.
” The new geriatric facility at Waterford is a modern purpose-built facility that takes into account the needs of the residents, staff and management.
This facility will have :
In Phase1:
- A main hospital building housing 300 beds on 3 storeys.
- 10 lounges – one per two wards
- 2 treatment rooms per floor – amounting to 6 (three floors)
- A rehab unit
- A day-care facility
- Staff offices and amenities
- Ancillary facilities like a kitchen, a laundry, a pharmacy etc.
In Phase 2: - The addition of 105 beds
- 6 lounges
The project has been designed to the International Building Codes, and takes into account the use of the buildings and accommodates for climate change. Hurricane and earthquake loadings have been accounted for.
The buildings are also designed to be operated with the windows closed and without air conditioning, should we suffer from a similar ash cloud event as we did recently.
The design allows for tertiary treatment of waste water, and we will be using the treated water for flushing of toilets as well as irrigation.
The buildings’ roof will be utilized for the placement of photovoltaic panels.
The design team consists of:
Project Management – Steinbok Management Services
Architect – Arthis Design Group
Civil & Structural Engineers – Spencer Thorne Ltd
Quantity Surveyor – BCQS International
M.E.P. Engineering – A De B Consultants
Planning Consultant – Richard Gill Associates
This team has worked long hours over the past year to ensure we could meet the stringent requirements of the client.
I would like to thank them for their hard work and dedication to meeting the challenging deadlines set out for this project.
As we embark on the implementation phase of the project, we welcome to the team:
C. O. Williams Construction, Preconco Ltd., Versatile Construction and Blueprint Management as the construction group that will make this project a reality.
The construction is scheduled to be completed in 83 weeks.
We look forward to welcoming you all back at the opening of the new geriatric facility.”
The construction of the new Geriatric Hospital at Waterford, St. Michael, is being hailed as “the single most important piece of health infrastructure since the opening of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital on November 14, 1964”.
This sentiment came from Minister of Health and Wellness, Mr. The Most Honourable Jerome Walcott, as he broke ground for the construction of the 400-plus bed facility on Monday. It is expected to be completed in 18 months, with the first phase costing over $100 million.
The Health Minister said Government had identified elderly care as a key priority since Barbados has an ageing population.
“In the coming years, caring for the elderly will be an increasing aspect of society. It is no secret that Barbados is an ageing society. In 2020, the proportion of Barbados’ population, age 65 and older, was estimated at 16.7 per cent and this is predicted to almost double to 29.1 per cent by 2060.
“The new Geriatric Hospital complex will provide comprehensive health care services to older adults with a focus on wellness, community-based health service, non-institutionalised health care, rehabilitation and long-term care for clients whose medical conditions requires hospitalisation. While we focus on rejuvenating Barbados’ age profile, we must concomitantly make plans, keeping in mind that more Barbadians will be reaching their golden years and will require improved access to services,” he stated.
The hospital will be constructed in two phases. In the first phase, it will feature 300 beds facilitated in the three-storey main building. Additionally, there will be ten lounges – one for every two wards – as well as two treatment rooms per floor.
The building will also include rehabilitation and day-care facilities, an isolation ward, a pool for therapy and photovoltaic panels to reduce running costs. Phase two will see the construction of another 105 beds and six lounges.
Acting Hospital Manager at the Geriatric Hospital, Heather Payne-Drakes, said the new facility would be welcomed by staff and patients since the current hospital at Beckles Road, St. Michael, which was established 139 years ago, was not intended to provide the level of clinical care which is currently delivered.
“We have outgrown the existing facility…. The current site has deteriorated over time and there are inherent challenges to its maintenance with constant need for urgent repairs and renovations. As a result, significant financial resources have been utilised to maintain a safe and functioning facility. Over the past five years, an average of approximately $300,000 has been spent on maintenance annually,” Mrs. Payne-Drakes explained.
She continued: “Having a new facility that is fit for purpose in delivering quality health care to the elderly has become a necessity. The health profile of our clients is characterised by comorbidities with the majority affected by at least two non-communicable diseases, requiring skilled nursing care and appropriate medical management on a 24-hour basis. The Waterford facility has been designed to deliver rehabilitation services that focus on enhancing physical and mental functionality.”
Mrs. Payne-Drakes said the current hospital at Beckles Road, catered to 278 clients and had a staff complement of 367, including 231 nurses, five medical practitioners, an Infection Control Officer, a dietitian, and social workers.
After the speakers’ attention was turned to the groundbreaking part in which The Minister of Health Senator Dr. The Most Honourable Jerome Walcott, mounted the large caterpillar and proceeded to turn the soil as his groundbreaking task.
