No telling when hospital project will be completed, $114M spent so far
Newly-appointed Health Minister Marlon Penn ‘cannot say’ when the construction project for Peebles Hospital in Road Town will be completed.
Responding to questions in the House of Assembly on Tuesday, Penn said the construction cost for the medical facility to date is $114,249,518.60.
An increase to that figure will now depend on whether further works are done to the facility.
Currently, the sixth floor of the building is unfinished and unoccupied.
“The BVI Health Services Authority is currently exploring the possibility of leasing the sixth-floor space, however no projections on outfitting, furnishing, or equipment cost are available at this time. These will be determined ultimately by the space holder,” Penn said.
He added: “We are looking at potentially expanding on the sixth floor with the potential of having new clients for the whole focus of medical tourism. That wouldn’t be a cost borne by the hospital from that point of view.”
Penn recently took responsibility for the territory’s health portfolio after former NDP minister Ronnie Skelton was sacked from the post.
Skelton now sits as leader of the parliamentary opposition and Chairman of the breakaway NDP organisation called the Progressive Virgin Islands Movement.
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says alot!!
Why don’t you contact a viable medical school and turn that useless hospital into a teaching hospital. This way the people of the island will receive decent care at a fraction of the cost and the Territory can benefit from this. Instead you will all waste more money on the local crook contractors who have robbed the people on this project. $114 million? Really? You have nothing but a substandard facility with under educated doctors. Do the expats or belongers with money use the hospital? NO!! Why not? Because if you sick your better off seeing a veterinarian than Pebbles Hospital
As an expat, I’m not a big fan of BVI politics or politicians due to the fact fact thst I believe they insult the electorates intelligence but some of you ungrateful expats are becoming very bold and disrespectful. If the BVI is such a bad place leave! You have three options by plane, by ferry or under a bus, your choice.
Expat here: I had my children here and the staff were exceptional from the cleaners, the receptionist and the clinicians. Friendly, caring and professional. The standard of care was far higher than an equivalent small hospital in the UK. I would recommend it to any expectant mother with a low risk pregnancy. The facilities are far better than the Pavia Hospital in San Juan or the Roy Schneider Hospital in St Thomas and with the wonderful NHI system the co-pay cost is less than a night’s accommodation in the a Road Town hotel.
Thanks Ronnie! Leadership in action. 😉
The highly respected publication The Economist highlighted our government’s lack of fiscal responsibility and corruption as the key drivers of our demise under our current leadership. Pebbles Hospital was cited as an example.
Where has all our money gone? What do we have to show for it?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peebles_Hospital
WOW a whole Wikipedia Page! SMH This is embarassing
Bigger hospital in other parts of the world fully furnished and don’t cost that kinda of money.
Walwyn wants a medical school why not use the sixth floor for that. Its convenient for the student to have a one on one contact with the everyday running’s and procedure of the doctors and nurses which is just an elevator down when training. I think its a wonderful idea