NASSAU, The Bahamas — Plans are underway for the construction of a major healthcare centre in Freeport, Grand Bahama.
Public Hospital Authority (PHA) officials say the construction of the centre will help to end the practice of residents in Freeport having to seek medical treatment for coughs and colds and other minor ailments at the Accident and Emergency Department of the Rand Memorial Hospital.
This practice not only clogs up the system from time to time, but also utilises extensive equipment and expertise to treat persons who could otherwise be treated at a facility such as a healthcare centre.
Once the facility is up and running, those services and others will be provided at the healthcare centre.
Mr. Herbert Brown, Managing Director of the Public Hospitals Authority (PHA) said PHA officials are “very close” to making the plan to construct the facility a reality.
“We are going through a process right now where we are seeking to complete the functional programme (and) once that would have been completed, then we will move into the phase of architectural drawings and then construction,” Mr. Brown said.
Mr. Brown said the functional programme involves determining what the “problem areas” of a community are from a health care perspective, and what services ought to be provided in a particular area.
“Once you would have formulated what those areas are and look at your utilisation statistics, you are able to determine what services you need to provide and then you can go to the process of developing architectural drawings,” Mr. Brown said.
“When we make decisions, we want them to always be evidence-based and not make them because somebody is saying, ‘you should develop this service,’” Mr. Brown continued. “We want evidence to lead us in that decision, and so I am very, very, proud of that particular component of our planning.”
Mr. Brown said the construction of the healthcare facility in Freeport is a significant part of the Government’s plan to expand and improve the physical structure of the Grand Bahama Health System to ensure greater delivery of quality health services to residents of not only Grand Bahama, but the northern Bahamas.
He said the Public Hospitals Authority has already constructed, or is the process of constructing, a Critical Care Facility and additional operating theatres at the Rand Memorial as part of that plan. PHA officials Tuesday (March 27) finalised the $1.9million dollar acquisition of the Island Palm Hotel that will help the Rand Memorial to further expand its services.
“The acquisition of the Island Palm Hotel, which adjourns the Rand Memorial Hospital site to the north is a natural fit when it comes to the strategic goals outlined by the PHA’s Board and Executive Committee,” PHA Chairperson Mrs. Veta Brown said.
“Among those set targets, is the consolidation of hospital services to allow for the maximisation of resources and easy accessibility. In this vein, it is necessary for the Public Hospitals Authority to always look for opportunities that allow us the ideal environment for achieving seamlessness in the delivery of healthcare in order to affect the best management efficiencies and disease prevention,” Mrs. Brown added.
By Matt Maura
Bahamas Information Services
