GRAND BAHAMA, The Bahamas – Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, the Hon. Philip Davis led a delegation to Grand Bahama for the historic groundbreaking and contract signing ceremony for the $210 million Freeport Health Campus on Tuesday, May 16, 2023.
The premier hospital will sit on 50 acres of land and will offer primary, tertiary and acute care for residents of Grand Bahama and the northern Bahamas.
The project, which is being funded by the World Bank, is set on the Greenfield site, and will be carried out in three phases, with Phase 1 set to be completed by the end of 2024.
In delivering the keynote address, Prime Minister Davis said the occasion is an extraordinary one for residents of Grand Bahama and the city of Freeport. It will initiate the construction of an outpatient and urgent-care facility that will cater to the needs of Grand Bahamians and residents in the Northern Bahamas for generations to come.
He said it is particularly noteworthy that this endeavour begins during a year when Bahamians nationwide, and around the globe, commemorate the golden anniversary of our national independence.
“This significant juncture in our nation’s history offers an opportunity for introspection on a remarkable progress we have achieved in terms of our development, culture and economy,” he said.
Prime Minister Davis revealed that the realization of a new hospital for Grand Bahama is more than 15 years in the making,
“At this new health-care centre, wounds will be healed, medical research will be advanced, lives will be rebuilt and the Grand Bahama Health Services will be positioned to provide the highest standard of care now and into the future as a long-awaited vision is now at last becoming a reality,” he said.
Minister of Health and Wellness, the Hon. Dr. Michael Darville, who has practiced medicine in the nation’s second city many years, pointed out that it has been a long journey for him and many residents in Grand Bahama.
“We all know the challenges we that we currently face with the Rand Memorial Hospital and the services provided here. From government to government, we’ve been tagging along, trying to do our best and the time has finally come after years of hard work,” he said.
Dr. Darville noted that there have been many before him who worked diligently on the plan to bring us to the special occasion.
“The first phase of our project will be the establishment of a close to 60,000-square-foot facility that will be usable as Phase 1B of the project is initiated and the final phase initiated simultaneously,” he said.
He further revealed that the new state-of-the art facility will have an oncology centre, which is crucial for the people of Grand Bahama who have had to go off island for years to undergo chemo therapy treatment.
Speaking to the government’s commitment to establishing and transforming healthcare delivery services throughout The Bahamas, Minister Darville also announced that the final drawings for the construction of nine new clinics have been completed and renovations on 41 clinics are also underway.
Minister for Grand Bahama, the Hon. Ginger Moxey congratulated Dr. Darville who has been relentless in pushing for the project for at least a decade, and thanked Prime Minister Davis for his commitment to the healthcare needs of the people of Grand Bahama.
“Today we begin the first phase of building a new hospital on our island to support the growing demand for accessible, quality healthcare services to address the needs of residents and visitors alike,” she said.
(BIS Photos/Andrew Miller & Jamika Culmer)
