The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

The newly renovated Accident and Emergency department at Princess Margaret Hospital is expected to be ready for full occupancy by the end of the month, Health and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville said yesterday, adding that the move will allow the hospital to provide better-quality services.

Dr Darville said while patients already have limited access to the area, officials decided to expand occupancy in phases to ensure operations run smoothly.

“The entire occupancy of the newly renovated accident emergency is scheduled to be completed on the 23rd of this month and I'm excited about it, because you notice the fence has now been removed to that portion, and we are now seeing patients from the main emergency area,” Minister Darville told reporters yesterday.

“That will expand over the next couple of weeks until we're able to shift a lot of the movement from the main entrance to the emergency room where it was all destined to be.”

He said the department’s opening means improved services for critical patients in need to transferred to various sections in PMH.

The A&E upgrade was announced in 2023 and initially billed as a transformative fix for chronic overcrowding and deteriorating conditions, but it repeatedly slipped past earlier completion targets due to various construction changes and technical setbacks.

Dr Darville said the project’s cost “has ballooned” well beyond the original contractual agreement signed when construction on the renovations began, though he did not specify by how much or provide an overall prject cost.

Looking ahead, he said the next phase of work will involve the renovation and demolition of the kitchen at PMH, which has been has been out of service since 2024.

Meals for PMH patients are currently cooked and prepared at the University of The Bahamas (UB) and then transported to the public hospital.

Yesterday, Dr Darville noted that officials are proceeding cautiously with the project due potential risks related to the area’s structural integrity.