By KEILE CAMPBELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

HEALTH and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville signed a nearly $2m contract with Scorpio Construction Ltd on Friday to retrofit a National Reference Laboratory at the former Bahamas Mortgage Corporation building on Russell Road, Oakes Field.

The contract follows a competitive bidding process via the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), marking a significant step in modernising the country’s healthcare diagnostic infrastructure. The lab, currently operating out of the old Victoria Hotel in Victoria Gardens, will be relocated and expanded to accommodate advanced testing services, including gene sequencing and infectious disease analysis.

Dr Darville called the facility “a key element in public health involvement in the country” and highlighted its role in supporting the Department of Public Health and Public Hospitals Authority.

The upgrade is part of an effort to strengthen healthcare services after Hurricane Dorian’s $40m damage to infrastructure across the country. Dr Darville stressed that the new facility would be designed with resilience to natural disasters, sustainability, energy efficiency, and EDGE certification in mind.

“The lab will have an adequate design to support the flow of infectious disease testing,” he said.

The lab is expected to be completed within 12 months, and Dr Darville has already met with contractors to ensure the timely delivery of the project.

Joana Pascual, chief of operations for the IDB in The Bahamas, praised the initiative, stressing the importance of the National Reference Lab in providing diagnostic information, early warnings of public health threats, and improving patient outcomes.

Dr Darville also provided updates on other ongoing health infrastructure projects, including new clinics in Mangrove Cay and Palmetto Point, Eleuthera, and upcoming developments in Cat Island and Moores Island.

On the issue of foreign nurses displaced by the Victoria Court building’s relocation, Dr Darville promised updates and reiterated the government’s commitment to supporting their relocation.

The Tribune understands further contract signings under the existing IDB framework are expected in the coming months.