Resilient Restoration of the Hannah Thomas Hospital in Barbuda

January 28, 2020

UNDP representatives, members of the Barbuda Council and representatives from Roberts Construction & Engineering Co. Ltd at the Hannah Thomas Hospital in Barbuda

On Saturday 18 January, team members from UNDP Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean met with members of the Barbuda Council and Roberts Construction & Engineering Co. Ltd to discuss progress made on the rehabilitation of the Hannah Thomas Hospital, post Hurricane Irma.

During the meeting, UNDP Resident Representative Magdy Martinez Soliman addressed the concerns of the council and emphasized that the work being conducted by Roberts Construction & Engineering Co. Ltd is being carried out in accordance with the report by the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) to ensure quality of the infrastructure, structural resilience and inclusive access to all patients. The safety of patients and medical records and the adherence to hygienic standards were also discussed and points of interest raised by the Barbuda Council were answered. A room by room visit through the hospital allowed the engineering team from Roberts Construction and the UNDP engineer to highlight compliance with hospital design standards and equipment to adequately respond in emergency situations.

After the open discussion with UNDP and the walk through led by the engineers, members of the Barbuda Council expressed their satisfaction with the progress achieved thus far and their eagerness for the reopening of the hospital. Rehabilitation work is expected to be completed in March 2020, with the hospital becoming fully operational and all areas opening to the public in April 2020

UNDP is committed to supporting the government of Antigua & Barbuda in its rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts post Hurricane Irma, this commitment is evidenced by partnerships to rebuild essential facilities on the island. The rehabilitation of the Hospital was made possible thanks to the generous support from the Indian Government and the collaboration of the UN Office for South-South Cooperation.