By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

THE Public Hospitals Authority yesterday signed a contract with a Texas-based company, headed by a Bahamian architect, to spearhead the transformation of the existing Princess Margaret Hospital building.

The contract, valued at $395,000, will begin the planning process to redevelop the PMH’s working spaces to bring the facility up to world standards, according to Health Minister Dr Perry Gomez.

Fred Perpall, CEO of the Beck Group, said for a country of this size, building a new hospital would be “extraordinarily expensive” for a government that is fiscally constrained.

“Many of us have been born in this hospital,” Mr Perpall said yesterday. “I myself was born here and we know that the original building has been tested over the last 60 years. Well, think about 60 years ago what the population was then and think about where we are now. Think about all the things that have changed within not only modern society, but how we want to deliver health care.

“So we think that the ability to build a brand new hospital for a country this size would just be extraordinarily expensive and in some ways it is unrealistic. So in some ways the best option we believe is to redevelop what we have.

“The infrastructure here has been tested and burdened and we believe that we have an opportunity to think strategically for the next year or so about how to make sure that we have a facility that would stand the test of time.”

Asked if he could say how much it will cost the government to overhaul the existing PMH building, Mr Perpall said he could not say at this point. However, he added that health care facilities are among the most expensive to restructure, adding that in the United States it costs around $1,500 per square foot.

Dr Gomez said yesterday that this project was the impetus for the implementation of National Health Insurance, the first phase of which the government plans to roll out in January 2016. 

“(The) contract signing further reinforces the fact that health care remains among the highest priorities for this government as is evidenced by our commitment to the upgrading of the public sector health system in terms of both infrastructural and management strengthening requirements. 

“The opening of the Critical Care Block at the Princess Margaret Hospital confirms that for the foreseeable future PMH will remain the country’s premier public health institution. This commitment to continuing hospital operations on the existing site demands the formulation of a strategic plan for the development of the infrastructure for the hospital that will bring this iconic health care facility, as well as the services it offers in line with the demands of Bahamians and the national health care policy of the government,” Dr Gomez said.