The Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOHW) has disclosed that the estimated cost to rehabilitate the Cornwall Regional Hospital (CHR) in St James has increased from the $10.5 billion initially projected to $14.1 billion.

Portfolio Minister, Dr Christopher Tufton, made the announcement during a press conference Tuesday morning.

Tufton explained that even though the team working on the construction project had originally estimated that it will cost $10.5 billion, an added $2 billion was invested for demolition work, among other things.

“Already, some $2 billion, including for demolition works and roof repairs, have been invested to make the structure ready to receive the final build-out, which will include medical and general services and also installation of new equipment,” he said.

“A further $2 billion has been spent, so a total [$4 billion] on relocation of services to other spaces on the hospital compound. A lot of work had to go on there – build out of spaces in rented accommodations and on the hospital campus to allow for continued operation on the campus, retrofitting and build out of spaces at Falmouth Noel Homes and Savanna la Mar to accept services re-routed from Cornwall Regional,” the minister continued.

This new figure, it was revealed, was submitted to Cabinet for approval.

He added that the leasing of properties, and procurement of equipment to bolster services offered at backup hospitals, also factor into this cost.

“So, there was and should be recognised, in the narrative, the efforts that had to be made in literally ensuring that the services were preserved while the main building was vacated and work took place in that main building. So some $2 billion has been spent on that,” Tufton said.

READ: Gov’t to spend over $2 billion on Cornwall Regional Hospital project

Furthermore, Tufton said given that Cornwall Regional Hospital has had a “very long and on-going discussion” regarding its construction’s completion, he felt it necessary to attempt to clarify those concerns.

“Clearly, the rehabilitation programme has taken some time, and most recently the cost associated with the final phase of rehabilitation – phase 3 – has been [the] subject of some discussions and some concerns with assumptions being made around ballooning cost overruns, as opposed to rescoping of the project. We thought it was necessary in the spirit of transparency, the spirit of accountability, to communicate with the public. Because we have nothing to hide, this is public expenditure and this is a project for the people of Western Jamaica and the people of Jamaica, more generally,” Tufton stated.

He went on to say that after the hospital’s air condition issue was brought to his attention, and an evaluation was conducted, he learned about the many issues the hospital had. This, he said, prompted him to start the rehabilitation project in 2018.

READ: Tufton expects CRH work will take less than 3 years

“Based on the work that is being done, it will be a different Cornwall Regional Hospital from what we started with. Which was a failed building – a sick building. It will be different in the sense that some of the services that are offered, and it will be different in terms of just the general levels of comfort both for staff and patients,” he said.

He noted that after construction is completed the hospital will be the largest in the Caribbean.

“When you combine the new look facility with Western Children, that is a greenfield being built for paediatric and adolescent care. It will present the largest hospital campus in the Caribbean, in terms of beds, in terms of specialities, in terms of services. And we can’t realise that vision if we had just placed a bandage on the air-conditioning system and ignored the compromised walls and foundation, ignore the leaking roof, ignore the pipes that are leaking in the walls, ignored the electrical system that was compromised, the operating theatre room that had air quality and ventilation issues,” Tufton explained.

Details of the project are outlined in the 2023/2024 Estimates of Expenditure, already before the Standing Finance Committee of the House of Representatives.

For the upcoming fiscal year, works are expected to be done to complete Phase 2 B; commence design of Phase 3; build a turn-key contract for the rehabilitation and redevelopment of floors one to 10 and attain 30 per cent completion; and continue procurement of ICT supplies and medical equipment.

Up to the end of December 2022, there was 100 per cent completion of Phase 1, and Phase 2, as well as Phase 2A, and 80 per cent completion of Phase 2B.