The contract for the much talked about new National Hospital has been signed and work is expected to begin on that project early in the New Year.
According to Acting Prime Minister, Dr. John Colin McIntyre the construction of the hospital is the last project of the four-pillar projects between the government of Dominica and the People’s Republic of China following the signing of diplomatic relations more than ten years ago.
The minister made that statement while addressing a brief contract signing ceremony between the Hunan Construction Engineering Group Corporation and the Ministry of Health and Environment which was held at the Ministry of Finance conference room on Friday night.
“This is the last project of the four pillar projects when we signed diplomatic relations with China, and we want to thank the Chinese government, the people of China for this gift,” he said.
He continued, “As we know in Dominica our people have become more and more accustomed to a high level of healthcare and it’s been a long time since we have had a new hospital, so this flagship project as the fourth pillar project for Dominica is going to go very far.”
He said some Dominican nationals are now being trained in China, “ and we are looking at the specialization of some of our people, our doctors in China. So, the new hospital with our Chinese trained Dominican doctors and of course, their specialization, will really take this hospital to a different level .”
Dr. McIntyre explained that the challenges of healthcare remain a constant feature in the development goals of Dominica and developing countries.
“It is within this context that this project has remained high on the priority list,” he noted, adding, “Through the tenure of this government, we remain committed to the completion of this hospital as an integral part of our health policy to improve the health of all Dominicans and those who visit our beloved island.”
He said the government will continue to seek the support of the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) in providing technical support to the Ministry of Health to ensure a swift transition and expressed the Government’s gratitude to the Chinese who, he said have committed to provide medical equipment. “We will also ensure the training of medical specialists…,” he added.
Health Minister Dr. Kenneth Darroux said the signing ceremony of this project is just another example of the tremendous assistance Dominica has received from the government of the People’s Republic of China over its 10 years of friendship.
“And I can speak to the technical cooperation for medical services, provision of medical equipment, road networks, schools, bridges, stadium and just as importantly, building (the) capacity of our human resources,” he stated.
Dr. Darroux continued, “Today as we celebrate the signing of the contract for the construction of the new National Hospital, I would like to reaffirm the ministry’s and of course, the wider government structures’ commitment to work together even more closely toward the common goal of constructing a modern state of the art hospital.”
He said this new hospital is of national importance and the Ministry of Health and the Environment is totally committed to ensuring a successful outcome.
He stated that the signing ceremony marks the actualization of the new facility and the state of the art secondary healthcare institution coupled with the other proactive steps that government have taken at the Ministry of Health such as; “ the recent increase in number of medical positions, and also our increase in the specializing of students in various universities across the globe will undoubtedly provide an enabling environment for the effective delivery of healthcare services, while strengthening our ability to respond more effectively to the challenges associated with the provision of quality healthcare.”
Meantime, First Secretary of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China, Wang Ji Sang said the government of the People’s Republic of China and the government of Dominica has developed “very good communication” over the years and continue to understand each other.
“So I hope and believe that during the construction we still need more communication and more support from each other and understand each other,” he remarked. “I believe under this close cooperation between our two sides this hospital project will a new symbol of the friendship between our two governments.”
He noted, “We will manage the construction project and I believe we will have this high quality hospital and all of the people of Dominica will benefit.”
Skerritt and his cabal are fooling the people of Dominica again and again.
Years ago, Skerritt told Dominicans of the 4-pillar projects that the Chinese Gov’t was going to fund, as a result of establishing links with Mainland China. Dominicans know now that it was NG Lap Seng who was the one who influenced, the main instigator re. Dominica moving to China. FACTS ARE STUBBORN. Was it NG Lap Seng,, with his clout, who, in the deal, agreed for those projects?
If the Gov;t of China is funding, in toto, the hospital project, as we were told, why did Skerritt go to China and signed a US$300 million loan from a private financial firm? How comes Skerritt told us part of that huge loan would be used in the building of that same hospital that the Chinese Gov’t , they say, is funding. Explain that deception to Dominicans. But who cares? Deals, deals.
Remember, the Gov’t of China washed their hands from that loan deal and said publicly they not part of that loan debas?…
Wait for it! Wait for it! Wait for it…..are you still waiting? Well you will be for a long time!
I hope these new trained doctors and nurses will earned a reasonable salary to keep them there, If not
they will leave the country go to an other country for a much better salary.
Really it don’t even seems to matter any more people of lost interest….. these people have said so many lies already you just don’t know what to believe anymore they take everything for political jokes and disrespect the populace in so doing they don’t really care about us. But again that’s what Dominican like and wanted so I guess it is what it is
I like how Organised this Government is, people are being trained at this moment to function in this new hospital, not like Antigua who didn\’t make careful preparation and St. Vincent that build international Airport and not enough Hotel Rooms. We the populace of Dominica fail to realize that careful preparation have to be made to accommodate the larger infrastructural opportunities heading our way. Remember the wise saying, you must learn to crawl first before you walk and i\’m patient because better things are heading our way.
All I wanna say is that, they don’t really care about us. All I wanna say is that, they don’t really care about us.
Dear editor, the lack of editing over weekends, in this case 2 1/2 days, leaves a serious hiatus and distorts the balance of comments versus new entries. Any true news organ is staffed 24/7. We seem to be getting new items added without comments being published in good time. I hope this can be remedied. Than you.
ADMIN: Want to help pay the extra staff?
hahaha DNO aallu getting bad man lol
So what’s in it for the Chinese? We are, of course, grateful. But it is only fair for us to know what we have to do for their generosity.
Perhaps their generosity is to do with the sycophantic subservience of our leaders in supporting them with the UN’s Agenda 21 first stage at the Paris Conference which is our signing up to the hoax of climate change and global warming? And, agreeing that it is us, humans, that a damaging the ‘planet’, which means that as a result, as Agenda 21 proposes, we will have to be restricted, managed and culled if necessary?? Who has the right to decide this?
Or, could it be about back handers? We demand to see the text of the ‘signing’ of the ‘contract’?? What are we signing to pay? How are we going to pay it back? Why are the Chinese helping us? If they are helping us, why do we have to ‘sign’ a contract?
Politics – so confusing, when people in power in a poor country will do anything for a fast buck in their own pockets.
Haven’t you noticed all the chinese stores in roseau and all the chinese people on the island? china is over populated so they are being sent here. chinese people are allowed to have only one child in china but they can come here and have 100 if they please.three quarters of the chinese people who will come here to build the hospital will not return to china, just you wait and see.
Hunan Construction Group has been sanctioned by both the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank for submitting fraudulent documents. Here is the text of the sanction brought forward: http://siteresources.worldbank.org/EXTOFFEVASUS/Resources/3601045-1371577728750/Notice_of_Uncontested_Sanctions_Proceedings_Case_268.pdf
Article with some details: http://allafrica.com/stories/201508031574.html
They have two (2) years to improve their practices before they can work for the World Bank again. The only difference here is that they are providing the funds themselves. Nonetheless, it is good that you mentioned this so that the citizenry can be informed.
HOTEP!
While I am very hapy for the government and the people of Dominica, I am very much concerned about its management after completion. The present facility management at PMH is a fiasco that needs urgent attention. We can’t move into a new structure with any deficiencies that is and will continue to grossly impact negatively on the quality of patient care. Otherwise PM/China effort will be in vain.
No mention of the price tag…..dominica will owe china it’s life.
garcon china already have dominica…… dominica crying for mercy…. china have one hand in the throat the next one on the balls…. y u fink all this rain falling…. cry dominica crying so
I hope the staff of the PMH attitude is brand new too- for the better. Some of them really need some seriouss training in bedside mannerssss
You fool me once, shame on you, you fool me twice, shame on me
I hope this time around they will at least employ some of our trade men on the project so that our locals won’t feel like they are left out. But I guess we already know how the Chinese people roll. They will come with all their employees and containers filled with this and that and not drop a 2 cents in Dominica before leaving. But I’m still grateful for the so called four pillar projects nonetheless. Just employ some of our locals; that’s all. We need to eat a bread too.
LMAO. So nothing was signed before July’s groundbreaking event? When is the next groundbreaking? Only in Dominica…