Hanover’s Noel Holmes Hospital to be relocated, but not immediately

Western Bureau:

The Government is exploring the relocation and expansion of Noel Holmes Hospital in Lucea, Hanover, with discussions ongoing with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), which is being targeted to fund the project.

While no definitive timeline has been established, the proposed relocation would see a new hospital built further inland to reduce its exposure to future hurricanes.

The announcement was made during last Friday’s tour of the healthcare facility by Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton, who is pushing to ensure that health facilities are resilient enough to withstand severe weather systems.

Noel Holmes Hospital, located close to the shoreline in Lucea, suffered significant damage during the passage of Hurricane Melissa, whose Category 5 winds battered its ageing structure. The Government is considering building a new facility rather than undertaking extensive repairs to the existing hospital, which would leave it vulnerable to future hurricanes.

In the meantime, repairs are being carried out at the existing hospital so that it can continue to function while plans for a replacement facility are developed. Noel Holmes Hospital is the only public hospital in Hanover.

Tufton said his visit was intended to provide an update on the recovery work under way and outline the medium- and long-term plans for the facility.

“Next week Wednesday represents 12 months since Hurricane Melissa struck, and I am now giving an update on both the recovery and the medium and the long-term plans, advancing where we will go from here,” he said. “I am also listening to staff members hearing what concerns they have and whatever issues they think needs to be addressed.”

Tufton said significant sums had been spent on the hospital over the 12 months since the hurricane. He also praised staff for the sacrifices they had made to keep the facility operational amid major challenges.

“Twelve months on we have made progress in a number of areas in terms of repairs and refurbishing, if I had a wish, I would wish that twelve months on we would be fully back to normal, but we are not fully back to normal, but you can see the evidence of work going in that direction,” he said.

“I want to say that the decision has been taken that this hospital will be relocated at a location to be determined in the parish, that will offer a more resilient structure, a larger structure, and also a structure that is more modern in keeping with modern secondary health care that is driven by technology and layout and provides the people of Hanover with a better facility,” he added.

In explaining the need for relocation, Tufton pointed to the hospital’s coastal location and the vulnerabilities it creates. He also noted that Hanover’s population is expected to grow, increasing the need for a larger, more modern facility.

“We in public health and as a government has to plan for the future, looking at least 20 years down the line, and this facility has outgrown its useful life, even though it continues to provide critical care and is very important to the parish,” he said.

According to Tufton, the IDB and the Ministry of Finance, through Cabinet, are involved in planning the project. The National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA) is also expected to help determine the hospital’s location. The proposed facility is expected to have 150 beds and offer a range of services.

Tufton said construction of the new hospital could take about three to four years, depending on the various processes involved.

“That will be depending on many things - designing, consultation, construction, financing, supervision over site, you do not just create a facility like that overnight,” he said.

He also defended the decision to repair the existing hospital while plans for the new facility are being developed.

“We cannot care for people under a tent, when it comes to life and its preservation, we cannot compromise, we have to provide some very basic things”.

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