On March 28, 2020, the Victoria Hospital was converted to the Respiratory Hospital to facilitate the isolation of COVID-19 patients and their treatment and care. The reduced threat of COVID- 19, reduced admission rate and reduced utilization of the facility for respiratory cases, have resulted in the Ministry of Health, as of January 2022, integrating the management of COVID- 19 into the regular health service. This has been done successfully with the various respiratory clinics, the COVID-19 immunization program and COVID-19 testing and reporting. The closure of the Respiratory Hospital is the final phase of this process.

The Ministry of Health has assessed the current health services needs and advised on the best use of the facility. The decision was taken by the Cabinet of Ministers to renovate, retrofit and utilize the Administration Block including the Accident and Emergency Department, Francoise Dolto Building and the section designated to the Cuban Eye Programme of the Victoria Hospital as the Castries Urban Polyclinic.

We note the increasing health needs placed on the present Castries Wellness Centre by those who access services there. The facility is limited in its capacity to facilitate the expansion that is needed at this point and in the future. Presently, there is a need for a facility in the Castries region with extended operating hours of up to midnight, to include weekends and holidays to manage the urgent care cases with basic laboratory and diagnostic services. This will require increased human resources to allow for the extended hours of operation and increased services.

We also note the over utilization of the Emergency Room of the Millennium Heights Medical Complex-MHMC, for non-emergency cases, leading to long waiting times and delayed care and the frequent bed shortage at MHMC. The wards of the Victoria Hospital will continue to function for admissions of secondary care generated from the MHMC.