Prime Minister meets with St. Jude Hospital Board
Friday, October 21, 2022
by GIS
HON PHILIP J. PIERRE APPRISED BOARD MEMBERS ON PLANS TO TRANSFER ST. JUDE HOSPITAL OPERATIONS TO MORE SUITABLE FACILITIES.

St. Jude Hospital operations have been housed at the George Odlum Stadium for more than 13 years. The St. Jude Hospital board of directors led by, chairperson Lucius Ellevic, said the hospital, in its current location, is confronted with a myriad of challenges. Hospital employees continue to endure sub-standard occupational conditions, and the structural integrity of stadium itself continues to deteriorate.

Committed to alleviating the issues affecting the St. Jude Hospital, Prime Minister Hon. Philip J. Pierre allocated EC$1.5 million in his maiden budget for remedial works on the George Odlum Stadium. That money has addressed some of the more urgent concerns at the hospital.

More recently, on October 18, Prime Minster Pierre held an audience with members of the Board of Directors for the St. Jude Hospital. Board members and the Prime Minister engaged in fruitful dialogue and exchanged views on St. Jude Hospital operations.

Hon. Pierre, who was also joined by the Minister for Health, apprised board members on plans to transfer St. Jude Hospital operations out of the George Odlum Stadium to more suitable facilities.

Earlier, in September, Hon. Pierre announced that external work on the original St. Jude Hospital construction site, which was abandoned in 2016, will resume in November. The Prime Minister’s announcement was welcomed by St. Jude Hospital board members.

An independent technical committee, appointed last August, was tasked with assessing both phases of the St. Jude Hospital Construction project. The committee’s report concluded that construction on Phase I, the original construction site, could have been completed as early as 2017.

Guided by the recommendations from multiple technical audits on the St. Jude Hospital Construction Project, Prime Minister Pierre has honoured his commitment to Saint Lucia and has actioned the most prudent, safest, and immediate option to deliver the St. Jude Hospital to the people of Saint Lucia.