PM Kamla opens new Teaching Hospital complex in San Fernando

Chancery Lane teaching Hospital

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar on Friday formally opened the Chancery Lane Teaching Hospital located next door to the San Fernando General Hospital.

It's the country's second teaching hospital.

Speaking at the event, Persad-Bissessar said opening the hospital complex demonstrates her Government's commitment to people-centered development. She added that development is taking place in every part of the country and that whatever development takes place would be meaningful in enhancing the lives of citizens.

"My Government will not be marked by high rise buildings but will be one that will be people-centred, it will be one that would build hospitals, it will be one that will build schools, it will be one that put down the infrastructure needed to open up the entire country," she said."My Government...is committed to opening all spaces and places. This project was one of those to give to the southwest."

Persad-Bissessar also spoke about her priorities for 2013. 

"As we move into the New Year, I see our development in various ways. Development in terms of growing of the economy," she said. 

She added, "You have heard me speaking of the very major billion-dollar energy projects that will be coming into Trinidad and Tobago in the New Year because we want to grow sustainable jobs, we want to grow the economy in order to improve the quality of life of all our citizens. 

"Our energy sector is set for take off which will allow us to get the revenue in various ways and create jobs that will give us ways to deal with other kinds of projects such as these, the hospital projects, the school projects."

The hospital project is being handled by UDeCOTT, which falls within the jurisdiction of Housing Minister Roodal Moonilal. The project has been undertaken through a government to government contract with Austria and 99 per cent of the workforce is local.

The modern hospital has been equipped with state of the art equipment and facilities. "In all, 17 North American and internationally recognised codes have been applied," Moonilal said at the event.

"We are informed that when this facility is fully commissioned by April/May next year, we will hire 500 new employees in what we refer to as permanent employment in Trinidad and Tobago, 500 new jobs will be created." 

Construction of the complex began in 2005 during the previous Patrick Manning PNM administration. However at that time it was to be just an administrative complex. The new People's Partnership government changed that and chose to create a hospital and teaching facility, making the complex an annex to the existing hospital.

PM Kamla gets a tour of the facilities

This new facility would ease the demands on the San Fernando Hospital. It will provide full hospital services, including a paediatric ward, modern lecture halls, seminar halls and workshops for medical students. It will also have on-call rooms for doctors to be on staff on a 24 hour basis.