By LYNAIRE MUNNIINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

AFTER years of shifting timelines and missed targets, officials now say the long-delayed Accident and Emergency Department at Princess Margaret Hospital will not open until the end of 2025.

The new facility, first announced with much optimism in 2023, has been plagued by setbacks, including equipment delays and repeated changes to its projected completion dates.

Originally expected to open in 2023, the timeline was later pushed back to August, then to October; however, the doors remain shut.

Public Hospitals Authority Managing Director Aubynette Rolle said the final phase of the project depends on the installation of a crucial cooling system.

“Our progress report is that we are working to get that done before the end of 2025. We just have one critical element that has to do with airflow and cooling, which we call the DX system, that we are just waiting on,” Ms Rolle said.

She added that contractors are now preparing the space for movement while furniture, fixtures, and equipment are being installed.

Ms Rolle explained that the DX system is essential for regulating airflow in the new unit, noting that earlier plans to rely on the hospital’s existing system proved inadequate.

“When the new critical care was done, it was thought that once this was added, because of its proximity, it would be able to push the air out. We realise it wouldn’t, so, it doesn’t make sense going into a new space to close a new space, because persons cannot manoeuvre because it’s too hot,” she said.

She urged the public to remain patient, saying officials want to ensure the facility is properly equipped before opening.

Asked how confident she was in meeting the new target, Ms Rolle said she was optimistic but cautious.

“There’s a human element in everything, and when we are talking about the importation of things, that sometimes become a challenge,” she said. “Now, where I sit today, and based on my follow up with the contractor, I am confident that once the system arrives, we will have no further barrier for completion.”

The A&E expansion is meant to modernise emergency care and relieve pressure on the overcrowded existing department, where long waiting times, limited space, and staff shortages continue to strain services.

Public frustration has grown over the repeated delays, as many say the new facility is urgently needed to improve conditions for both patients and healthcare workers.