00:00The country will have to wait at least an additional three months until the new state-of-the-art 12
00:05-story, 540-bed Port of Spain General Hospital Central Block is completed.
00:10That's according to the Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago, which says there have been delays in the works
00:16in a number of areas.
00:18According to Uticort, the time span for completion has now been revised to June 30th, 2026.
00:25The setback is said to have stemmed from delayed payments, issues related to workmanship which required correction, and global supply
00:32chain challenges that directly impacted the availability and delivery of necessary materials.
00:38Information from Uticort indicates that a project is 95.82% completed.
00:43But there were pipeline pressurization problems where leaks developed after the fire sprinkler, potable and wastewater systems were tested last
00:51year.
00:51In repairing these leaks, Uticort states that there was damage to the drywall, which also had to be replaced.
00:57Duct installation supplies coming from China were delayed, and so too was the commissioning of the heating, ventilation and air
01:04conditioning system.
01:05It states that following tests and troubleshooting, the required humidity control levels were ultimately achieved on January 15th, 2026.
01:14But in January of this year, a broken pipeline caused water to enter the building's electrical bus duct system.
01:20That caused the partial failure of the power distribution network, resulting in a three-day power interruption.
01:26Uticort says a replacement component has been ordered and is expected to arrive in April to fully restore the system's
01:33integrity.
01:34According to the corporation, certification of the medical gas system requires inspection by an ASSC 6830 certified third-party verifier
01:43to ensure compliance with the NFPA Healthcare Facilities Code 99.
01:47Two previously approved verifiers declined to travel to TNT due to U.S. Embassy travel restrictions during the state of
01:55emergency.
01:56A new verifier arrived on March 1st, and the inspection process is currently underway.
02:02Uticort reports that readiness has been reached in terms of bed wards across levels 3 to 12,
02:07but specialized areas such as the pharmacy and operating theater suites are still under construction.
02:12As for other progress areas, the corporation highlights the installation of medical equipment, movable furniture, and ICT systems, which it
02:20says began in January.
02:22Commissioning of medical, electrical, and plumbing systems, as well as the medical equipment, is ongoing.
02:28Finally, training for staff has started and is expected to be ramped up in the coming weeks.
02:33Unicort says it, quote, remains committed to ensuring that a redeveloped central block is delivered to the highest standards of
02:40safety, quality, and functionality
02:42so that it can effectively support modern healthcare delivery and improved patient care, end quote.
02:49Alicia Boucher, TV6 News.
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