Construction of the new hospital project progressing.
~ Relocation from old to new building thereafter ~
PHILIPSBURG--The main building of the new St. Maarten General Hospital (SMGH) project is expected to be completed by the end of the first quarter (Q1) of 2026, Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor VSA Veronica Jansen-Webster told Members of Parliament (MPs) last week.
The minister said once the main building has been completed, “the hospital will move from the old to the new hospital, after which the old hospital will be demolished and the lobby of the new building will be constructed. This should be ready by the end of 2026.”
She was at the time updating MPs on the status of the project, based on a question from Former VSA Minister and Member of Parliament (MP) Omar Ottley.
Ottley asked for an update on SMGH and asked whether there were any additional costs due to inflation. He wanted to know what the current costs are and the cost at the start of the project.
The minister said based on information received from St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC), the design of the building was adjusted in July 2024 to meet the fourth revision of the Design and Build Contract.
As it relates to the main building, she said the basement, including water tanks and the seismic isolators for earthquake protection, is completed. The ground floor is approximately 50% ready, to be completed by the end of October. She said also that the main building is expected to be ready by the end of the first quarter of 2026.
She said also that retaining walls were completed except for one last section of approximately 50 metres between Technical Buildings 1 and 2.
The structural works on Technical Building 1 are ready. The structural works on the waste water treatment plant are completed and installing of the equipment has started. The waste water treatment plant will be operational by the end of the year. She also said that procurement of the large medical equipment is ongoing.
As it relates to the question on additional costs, the minister said there were no significant additional costs since the previously amended contract of July 2023. “The minor variation orders were covered from the budget line ‘unforeseen’.”
Ottley also asked about the issue of the 300 employment permits that will be granted for the project, whether the minister is satisfied with the number of local workers on the project and whether there are plans to do another job fair.
The minister said FINSO, the General Hospital and other main contractors were present at the National Job Fair on October 2. She said also that the opportunity remains to have locals take up the jobs at all projects. “I would have liked to see more locals working on the hospital, however, we understand that there are not that many trained and certified locals in the construction industry applying,” she explained.
Ottley also wanted to know what progress SMMC had made so far while waiting on the new hospital, to better its services. The minister said SMMC has expanded its services as planned since 2017 in accordance with the SMGH Business Case. This has led to a decrease in medical referrals from around 5,800 to approximately 700 on a yearly basis. SMMC provides 19 medical speciality services and continues to improve on its services in accordance with its quality framework.
She said also that the SMMC’s Supervisory Council is working on recruitment for a statutory Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and in the interim, Versant Accountants and Consultants fills the position to ensure that CFO responsibilities are met.
