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News : Bahamas Information Services Updates Last Updated: Feb 13, 2017 - 1:45:37 AM


Rand Hospital in Grand Bahama Gets $4 Million Further Upgrade
By Simon Lewis, Bahamas Information Services
Sep 26, 2016 - 3:13:17 PM

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Kenton Grant, President of Landstar Construction Company is pictured signing the contract for construction work at the Rand Hospital. His company along with Pinnacle Investment signed two contracts totalling nearly $4 million for a new cafeteria and other improvements at the Rand. Pictured left to right seated are: Herbert Brown, Managing Director, Public Hospitals Authority; Mr. Grant, and Mrs. Darayln Grant. Standing left to right are: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Works and Urban Development the Hon. Philip Davis; Legal Council/PHA, Leslie Isaacs; Chairman, PHA Board of Directors Senator the Hon. Frank Smith; Prime Minister and Minister of Finance the Rt. Hon. Perry G. Christie; Minister of Tourism the Hon. Obediah Wilchcombe; Hospital Administrator Sharon Williams; and Minister for Grand Bahama the Hon. Dr. Michael Darville. (BIS Photo/Vandyke Hepburn)

FREEPORT, Grand Bahama - The Rand Memorial Hospital in Freeport, Grand Bahama, will undergo nearly four-million-dollar upgrade and renovations.

Two contracts were signed in the nation’s second city on Monday morning, September 26, 2016 -- one with Landstar Construction Company Limited costing $2,374,736.68 and the other with Pinnacle Investment Construction Company Limited for $1,620,666.53. Landstar is headed by Mr. Kenton Grant, while Pinnacle’s president is Mr. Michael Edwards.

The agreement with Landstar will allow for the relocation of the Rand Hospital’s kitchen and cafeteria allowing for the repurposing of the newly-vacated space into two bedded wards.

This agreement will result in the construction of new and upgraded kitchen and cafeteria facilities that meet international standards for food preparation.

The specified duration of the work will be some 30 weeks from the beginning of construction.

Pinnacle Investment will tackle the construction of a secure, covered corridor between the existing Rand Hospital campus and the new cafeteria located in the adjacent Royal Palm Resort structure, formerly known as the Freeport Inn.

And as part of the Government’s continuing prioritization of a sustainable and renewable energy policy, the new weatherproof corridor has implemented a design that will minimize energy consumption by utilizing natural airflow and natural light during daylight hours.

As a further element of the agreement, Pinnacle will undertake the construction of an On-Call Suite. This will allow doctors who are on call from the different specialties to be in-hospital 24 hours, seven days a week, so as to ensure that they are on site when needed.

Minister for Grand Bahama, the Hon. Dr. Michael Darville called the undertaking a new phase in the life of the Rand Memorial Hospital.

He pointed out that as a practicing physician, and now as the Minister for Grand Bahama, he has had the privilege of occupying a front row seat to observe the outstanding work of staffers at the Rand.

Continuing, Dr. Darville noted that over the past few years progress has accelerated at the Rand with the upgrading and expansion of key clinical areas of the hospital, including state of the art surgical suites and an expanded emergency department complete with a modern trauma bay.

“Today, as we execute agreements with two of Grand Bahama’s leading contractors we are once again accelerating the improvement of the physical infrastructure of the Rand Memorial Hospital.

“This project, like other health improvement projects on the island, falls under the umbrella of our National Health Systems Strengthening initiative. This initiative has vastly improved health facilities, services, equipment, recruitment and management across our nation, including right here on Grand Bahama,” he stated.

Dr. Darville touched on the major expansion underway at the West End Clinic and the upgrades of facilities in High Rock, Sweetings Cay, McCleans Town and the Hawksbill Clinic.

Likewise he spoke about the extension of operating hours at the Eight Mile Rock Clinic and the opening of an Out-Patients and Specialty Clinic, as well as a Non-Communicable Disease Clinic at Pearce Plaza.

Dr. Darville also mentioned that the government and the Public Hospitals Authority will soon be in a position to make an official announcement with

respect to the construction of the proposed Freeport Community Clinic shortly. This he pointed out will be the first phase of a new hospital that was promised to the people of Grand Bahama.

He said that facility is designed as a major primary and out-patient health centre that will further transform healthcare delivery for the Northern Bahamas.

The Minister for Grand added that it is no secret that this government is serious about healthcare transformation.

“One of the highest priorities of this government is to ensure equitable access to healthcare for all Bahamians, no matter where they reside in the country,” he stated.

He said that we have already seen increased the deployment of physicians to Family Island Clinics and undertaken improvements in Family Island facilities and equipment where necessary.

The Minister for Grand Bahama further stated that with the implementation of National Health Insurance, and the preceding and concurrent undertaking of key projects and initiatives that will improve and strengthen healthcare facilities, services and governance, he believes that we are laying the framework for a healthier, stronger Bahamas.

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