The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

WORK on the $52.3 million Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) Critical Care Block is "steaming ahead", Cavalier Construction's managing director telling Tribune Business yesterday that the project was about 30 per cent complete.

While underground utilities had presented a challenge initially, Richard Wilson said most of the problems had been resolved.

He told Tribune Business: "Most of the utility problems have been resolved. We are steaming ahead with the structural steel, and it's basically moving ahead and doing very well. At the moment, I think we are basically on time and on schedule. We have got a long way to go, but it's moving ahead very nicely. We're seven months into a 24-month programme, so I would say we are about 30 per cent complete."

Mr Wilson estimated that 200 persons were currently employed on the project dubbed the "single largest investment in healthcare infrastructure" at PMH.

"With sub-contractors and everybody else, I would say we have got about 200 persons employed on the project right now, and that would go up as the workload increases," he told Tribune Business.

Mr Wilson added: "Right now, the structural steel frame is what we are focusing on, and then the concrete work associated with that - like the floors and the columns that follow that. I think we've got a first floor pour the end of this week. Everything is going very well; we're quite pleased."

Upon completion, the Critical Care block will comprise six state-of-the-art operating theatres with modern technology.

The unit will also comprise 18 recovery beds; 20 ICU (Intensive Care Unit) rooms; 48 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) beds; new laboratory facilities; upgraded administrative facilities; upgraded electrical, water and sewerage; air-conditioning and fire protection services; and a new main entry into the facility and shared services.

The block is being constructed on the northern grounds of PMH. The contract for its construction was awarded to Cavalier Construction last November.