The Bahamas government says it is awaiting a response from China regarding the construction of a US$277 million 200 bed hospital.
Health and Wellness Minister, Dr. Michael Darville, told a news conference that the Phillip Davis government is waiting response from Beijing for the finalisation of documents associated with the project on New Providence. Last year, the government signed an agreement to borrow US$195 million from the Export-Import (EXIM) Bank of China covering an estimated 73 per cent of the funding for the project.
The government had indicated that the remaining US$72 million will be funded by the Ministry of Finance.
‘I’m pleased to report that the Chinese EXIM Bank forwarded a document to the Ministry of Finance that was signed and forwarded back to Beijing for finalization,’ Darville said, adding ‘once that is in our possession. all of the other details associated with the project will be finalised.
‘And once that exists, I’ve made it very clear in the House of Assembly that I would bring a communication in the House where I would lay on the table all of the parameters associated with that contractual signing.’
The main opposition Free National Movement (FNM) has questioned the government regarding the labour component of the point.
‘The new day administration does not like to talk about just how many Chinese workers will come into the country as part of their deal,’ said former prime minister, Dr. Hubert Minnis, adding ‘I have asked before what that number will be. Will it be 500, or 800 or more than 1,000?
‘Why won’t they answer this question? Are they hiding the number?’
The government said the new hospital will feature specialized maternal and pediatric wards, emergency intensive care services, diagnostics, lab facilities, surgical suites, infectious disease isolation units, and a lot of green spaces for holistic healing.