PRIME MINISTER HON. PHILIP J. PIERRE HAS STRESSED THAT HE IS COMMITTED TO ENDING THE WASTE OF PUBLIC RESOURCES.

The Government of Saint Lucia, on Nov. 1, decisively took the first steps toward ensuring the completion of the St. Jude Hospital, with the welcomed resumption of works on the original SJH construction site.

In the last eight months since his initial announcement on the continuation of works on the original construction site, Hon Prime Minister Philip J Pierre has led the government in coordinating the required human and capital resources to reactivate the St. Jude Hospital Reconstruction Project.

Work on the original construction site has now resumed. A reliable and trustworthy oversight committee has also been assembled, consisting of a cohort of experts from across the public and private sectors.  The oversight committee’s task is to ensure that project deliverables are met on time and within budget.

The Hon. Prime Minister stressed that he is committed to ending the waste of public resources.

"I had a walk through these buildings, and there is nothing that indicates these buildings could not have been completed four years ago," Prime Minister Pierre said. "My heart bleeds for the unfortunate people who got sick and had to endure conditions at the stadium. Our concern now, is to improve healthcare for the people of the south and provide better conditions for health care delivery."

The recommencement of construction resumed on November 1, after six years of inactivity. The former administration halted construction in 2016. Subsequent technical audits and reviews on the St. Jude Hospital Reconstruction Construction Project, including an EC$900,000 audit commissioned by the former administration, concluded construction work was nearly 80 percent completed when the project was arbitrarily stopped.

An independent technical committee, appointed last August, was tasked with assessing both phases of the St. Jude Hospital Construction project. The committee’s report concluded that construction on Phase I (the original construction site) could have been completed as early as 2017.

Guided by the recommendations from multiple technical audits and reviews on the St. Jude Hospital Construction Project, Prime Minister Hon. Philip J. Pierre has honoured his commitment to Saint Lucia and has actioned the most prudent, safest and immediate option to deliver the St. Jude Hospital to the people of Saint Lucia.