00:00The formal handover of the Port of Spain General Hospital Central Block by the Urban Development Corporation
00:05officially marks the end of construction and the beginning of the clinical commissioning.
00:11It is labeled as a major milestone for a project that has faced years of shifting timelines,
00:17a contractor work out, and costs that balloon from an initial $1.1 billion to over $1.3 billion.
00:25According to the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, the delivery of the taking over certificate and project documentation
00:32signals the commencement of the commissioning process for the Central Block, with today's handover representing the first phase.
00:41With the keys now delivered, the Ministry of Health and the Northwest Regional Health Authority
00:46have immediately assumed legal responsibility for the security, insurance, and maintenance
00:51of the massive 540-bed facility.
00:55However, before any clinical care can begin, a rigorous auditing process must take place.
01:01Starting tomorrow, July 15, a joint task force comprising representatives from the Ministry of Health,
01:08the NWRHA, UDICOT, China Railway Construction, and VICAB Engineering
01:13will launch a massive asset verification exercise.
01:16The Ministry of Works confirmed this phase will involve, quote,
01:21a room-by-room verification of all furniture, fixtures, and equipment, medical and otherwise, end quote.
01:28This meticulous auditing phase is the latest chapter in a long development saga.
01:33The project was originally scheduled for completion years ago,
01:37but suffered a severe setback when the original Chinese contractor walked off the job in 2021,
01:43forcing the state to divide the project among local contractors.
01:48With the building now structurally complete,
01:51health officials will spend the coming months verifying equipment and training staff
01:55to ensure that a state-of-the-art facility is fully prepared to safely welcome its first set of patients.
02:02Alicia Boucher, TV6 News.
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