Cuts were made to the cost of the construction of the Arima Hospital and the number of beds to be made available for patients, according to Arima MP Anthony Garcia.
Speaking to members of the media after touring the hospital yesterday at Queen Mary Avenue in Arima, Garcia said the cost, which was at $1.8 billion, is now $1.2 billion. Some 15 per cent of the cost of the hospital will be provided by the Government.
He said that 110 beds instead of 150 will now be available when the new hospital is completed by June 2018.
“In my capacity as MP of Arima, I made a promise to residents of Arima that I will do all to ensure that the hospital is built and provide the much needed health facilities for residents in Arima,” he said.
Garica said there were rumours circulating that construction came to a halt but he was happy to see labourers actually working.
He said cost overruns could not come into play because the construction was only 16 per cent complete.
He said Arima residents would have the opportunity to be employed at the site.
“We discussed this with contractors that 50 per cent of the workforce must come from people from Arima and we were given that assurance and when it is up and running we can look at the number of doctors and medical personnel,” he said.
Referring to the Couva Hospital that was still unoccupied, he said: “The Government is a different one and what we set out to do we will see what is done.”
Garcia said specialist services would be provided at the hospital and from the conception the hospital was for a 150-bed hospital but because of the economic downtown and surveys it had been scaled down to 110 beds.
“And we are satisfied with that.
“There are many factors in the rationalising of the facility and it was done in consultation with the Ministry of Health. We feel that can adequately serve the people of Arima,” he said.
Friends of Arima member businessman Balliram Maharaj, who was in attendance, said Garcia was also a founding member of the group some 30 years ago.
Maharaj said he took part in the planning stage and all the facilities were taken care of.
“We are fortunate we have assurance from the contractors there is no stopping. There are no changes to the structure of the facilities.”
Arima Mayor George Hadeed said the Arima promenade would now be called the “Holly Betaudier Promenade,” fondly named after recently deceased Holly Betaudier who was known as Holly B, or the Arima Kid.
He said an arch would be erected at the entrance to Arima on O’Meara Road. This will be sponsored by Xtra Foods and the Arima Regional Corporation.
“There will be a rendition of Kitchener and Holly on one side and mention of the First People,” he said.
He said the corporation will introduce a shuttle service at the end of the bus route to carry passengers.