MONTEGO BAY, St James — Eight years and $23.5 billion into a renovation that turned into a major restoration, Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Christopher Tufton says the end is in sight for the delay-plagued Cornwall Regional Hospital (CRH) project.

“The rehabilitation of Cornwall has been a long journey, and it has been characterised by setbacks and uncertainties; but we have persisted. We are on the final stretch,” he declared Thursday morning as he officially opened the administrative block of the State-run health facility in Mount Salem, St James.

“Today we see some of the first manifestations of our persistence, our tenacity, our refusal to have the hospital remain in the condition in which we inherited it. We are now well down the wicket and seeing the finish line clearly,” the health minister continued.

Thursday’s event marks the first time, since 2017, that CRH’s main building has hosted any such activity. It was shuttered because of air quality issues and services reallocated to other facilities in St James as well as the neighbouring parishes of Trelawny and Hanover.

“Nursing and doctor accommodations were converted into operating theatres and areas to provide dialysis, for example. The Mount Salem clinic was converted to A&E, doubled in capacity, we had to build and expand on it. A new diagnostic centre was established. Falmouth Hospital, which had two operating theatres, now has four, because two are dedicated to Cornwall,” Tufton noted.

The Government initially allocated $5 billion for rehabilitation work, which began in 2019, and was slated to be done in multiple phases. In 2023, Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness said the budget for restoration work had been increased to $14.1 billion. Last month, while speaking during a town hall meeting in Montego Bay, Opposition spokesman on health Dr Alfred Dawes said that if the People’s National Party forms the next Government it will move to determine if there had been any “mismanagement and potential misappropriation” in carrying out the work. At the time, Dawes said the project’s price tag was $25 billion.

On Thursday, Tufton rubbished any suggestion of mismanagement.

“I know the Opposition likes to refer to Cornwall as a project that started at $2 billion and has cost overrun to $20-plus billion. That is false, patently false. In fact, I dare say it is mischief and the reason why I say it’s mischievous [is] that we have several times corrected that misinformation, both in the Parliament and outside,” the minister declared.

He again explained that while CRH challenges started as a ventilation problem, and checks later revealed other issues such as leaking pipes, electrical problems and more challenges. Recognising this, he said, the Government decided to abandon patchwork plans and instead build what is essentially a new facility. This, Tufton said, led to re-scoping and should not be seen as an overrun.

“Read my lips: not a cost overrun, Cornwall Regional; it is a re-scoping. Now, as I said, you may say we could save some money here and there, but that’s a far cry from saying that we move from $2 billion to $20 billion because of overrun. That would deserve an inquiry, I dare say, but it’s not the case,” he declared.

“We have re-scoped, and as a result of that re-scoping, we have determined an estimate of some $23.5 billion, which includes all new equipment. Every piece of equipment that will be placed in that building will be new: diagnostic, CT scan, MRIs, everything,” Tufton added.

He anticipates that the entire project will be completed in the next couple of years. Thursday’s opening of the admin building is part of its phased reopening.

“Today, we give attention to the administrative team who will reoccupy a section of the main building. The key features that you will see when you enter these walls — improved ventilation and lighting systems, upgraded IT infrastructure to support efficient operation, enhanced accessibility features to staff and visitors, as well as modernised office space to promote productivity and staff rejuvenation — it’s well-deserved,” the minister declared.

“It will have accounting, procurement, office management, general administrative services. The block will have a kitchenette, restrooms, open office space, reception and waiting areas,” he continued.

Tufton said that there should be more activity over the next few months as more work is completed and more services are integrated into the plant.

“We’re nearing the end of this rehabilitation, ladies and gentlemen, and we will continue to see phased implementation. Next you will see, in a few months, the medical server room for the brain of the institution, this is the computers, we’re hoping to have a digitised hospital when it’s completed. The medical records, general stores and dietary services will serve both Cornwall and Western Child [and Adolescent Hospital], which is also on its final phase,” Tufton disclosed.

He said there will be some additions to CRH to capitalise on synergies with the development of the adjoining facility for children.

“We’re moving from five operating theatres to nine operating theatres in this building; some minor, some major, all new. Which means our surgeons, with proper maintenance, should not have any problems with operating theatres for a very long time to come; and the maintenance is going to be important,” he explained.

“There will be additional diagnostics services; the accident and emergency will be twice the size of the previous A&E, it’s now being built out [providing] more room space to deal with the people who are waiting and of course to be served,” he said.

“We will have a new maternity suite, new and expanded dietary to serve both hospitals, new nursery, new ICU. In fact we will have more beds for high dependency and ICU patients, infection prevention and control finishes throughout the hospital,” the health minister promised.