1 July 2022
Groundwork on the site to relocate the National Referral Hospital to (Gilbert Camp) is progressing with current work on a Geo-Tech Survey.
Dr George Malefoasi, chief executive officer for National Referral Hospital, confirmed this to journalists this week during the OPMC press conference at the Mendana Hotel.
“At the moment site clearance and preparations is still progressing. The Geo-Tech survey is progressing well, soon bomb clearance will happen on the proposed site at Gilbert Camp and partial fencing has also been done,” he said.
Dr. Malefoasi said he feels it might take 10 years because there will be reviews done on the site service plans, more consultations and also it will take a bit more partnership when the government will need to partner well with other stakeholders.
He said the work is at the preliminary stage.
Dr. Malefoasi also clarified the NRH background.
He said the proposed location begin in 2015 with the establishment of a taskforce; and in 2018 ADB was engaged to support this work.
“The business case was approved on March 2020 and it has three parts.
“Phase one involve improvement of current hospital, second phase there is a development plan for two centres West and East into a urban health care centre and Phase three is the relocation of NRH.
“By looking at March 2020 up until now was a pandemic time and a lot of emphasis was put towards the pandemic response effort when it became a community transmission,” he said.
However, he said last year we had a new committee that was set within the Ministry of Health, NRH and stakeholders.
“Now changes have happened, demand for health care services occurred, epidemiology of diseases changed and we may look at continuing with the current level of services at NRH.”
Attorney General John Muria Junior added there is pending court case also on the Gilbert Camp land where the NRH will be relocated.
“But I thanked the parties for their understanding to allow government and NRH to continue their work on the relocation site.
“So, that matter is still before the court but that doesn’t stop the NRH to do work on the site but parties have an understanding and so that is why the work is still progressing at the moment,” Mr. Muria said.
Source. Island Sun newspaper.
Yours sincerely
Frank Short
