By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Staff Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Perry Christie yesterday forecast more than 300 new jobs for Bimini and upgrades to health care services as the government expands its public-private sector partnership with the Genting Group and the University of Miami.

Officials from the Ministry of Health met with developers from Resorts World Bimini, and representatives from the University of Miami to discuss an immediate intervention to health care services on the island, according to Mr Christie, who announced that visitors to the island had more than doubled over last year.

“When I looked at the statistics,” he said, “it appeared that there were just over 6,000 visitations annually in 2012 here, and only 20 medical evacuations, and that the major challenge to Bimini for locals is the noncommunicable diseases of hypertension and diabetes.”

Mr Christie added: “The developers, the Ministry of Health and the University of Miami will put heads together with a view of arriving at an immediate formula to what kind of facility should exist here, whether that means expanding the existing clinic to have beyond the primary healthcare approaches.”

Part of its $150 million development plan, Resorts World Bimini broke ground on its 350-room luxury marina hotel, and announced plans for Phase II of the South Bimini Airport expansion.

Joined by his cabinet, and Genting Chairman Tan Sri KT Lim, Mr Christie said the luxury hotel that will sit adjacent to the Resorts World Bimini Casino will be completed by December and open in time for Christmas, with additional garden villa suites to be finished in January 2014.

Mr Christie said: “There are over 350 [Bahamians] working for the resort, 140 working for the casino about 35 to 40 working in construction, we’re now talking about some odd 530 Bahamians working here, and with this new development it will take it up to over 800 Bahamian jobs on this island. For me this is a wonderful opportunity to say yet again the promise of being able to move the Bahamas forward and upward is now being fulfilled, we believe that this development will be a catalyst not just to further development on Bimini, but we see the indications also to the rest of the Bahamas.”

Resorts World Genting has taken over the operations of the Bimini Bay Resort, having partnered with RAV Bahamas to open a $24 million, 10,000 square foot luxury boutique casino at the property, and Resorts World Bimini has also recently launched a SuperFast ferry between Miami and Bimini.

Since then, Mr Christie said the island has had around 20,000 “visitations.”

Phase II of the South Bimini Airport expansion will add some 600 ft to the runway to accommodate regional jets.