The conversion of the Mabaruma Hospital, Region One from a regular hospital to a smart facility is almost complete. The ministry is now eyeing a January 2020 commissioning.
Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony, in a recent Facebook post, disclosed: “We have completed the refurbishment of the operating theatre, the ICU (Intensive Care Unit), the recovery room, and the maternity wards. The emergency department will be completed shortly and then the hospital will be fully operational by January 2022.”
The ‘smart hospital’ initiative links structural and operational safety and disaster resilience, while maintaining a ‘green’ status in operations. The project is a collaborative effort between the Pan-American Health Organisation (PAHO) and the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID).
Estimated to cost approximately $16.7 million (US$800,000), the hospital will feature a new Accident and Emergency (A&E) department, a renovated recovery room, a state-of-the-art ICU, a refurbished kitchen, a sterilisation room, as well as two surgical theatres.
X-ray, gynaecology, ophthalmology and other healthcare services will be offered at the health institution. In addition, the regional administration intends to intensify its medical outreaches in the riverine and surrounding communities to assist those unable to travel to the township for medical assistance.
