Dr. Potter: Gov’t should revisit using Inter-Health Canada to commission new hospital
It was in February 2010 that the last administration signed a contract with Inter-Health Canada in the sum of $2,108,698 to provide consultancy services for the commissioning of the New Peebles Hospital.
Dr. Potter stated his views of Inter Health’s contract during the 2012 Standing Finance Committee (SFC) deliberations, when questioned by Third District Representative Hon. Julian Fraser RA, regarding his thoughts of the Government using the company.Following Dr. Potter’s response, Hon. Fraser asked him whether he was asked such a question before to which he responded in the negative. The district representative stated that Dr. Potter should have been willing to give such an advice without being asked.
Regarding the current stage of the contract with Inter-Health Canada, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Social Development Petrona Davies told the SFC that the company had already completed Phases A and B. She stated that Phase C, the final phase, would have been the process of implementing the changes to the facility into operation.
Eight district representative Hon. Marlon Penn asked whether the plan of Inter-Health could be fast tracked so that the BVI Health Services Authority (BVIHSA) could run the hospital on its own. To that Mrs. Davies responded that the plans belong to Government and could be used. She further stated that the Ministry of Health was not involved in the operations but they provided input when needed.
Questioned as to when a report was received from Inter-Health Canada, the PS could not recall but said at that time the project was suspended.
Mrs. Davies also disclosed that the agreement with Inter-Health Canada takes it up to the period when the first patient enters the hospital.
It was further disclosed by Mrs. Davies that Inter-Health Canada had said it was willing to enter into an agreement to complete the building and that Government would repay the organisation over a period of time. However, she said Government did not accept the proposal.
Territorial Member Hon. Archibald Christian enquired what challenges Inter-Health experienced with Turks and Caicos Government to which Mrs. Davies explained that the economic challenges changed the situation drastically and the TCI government found it difficult to meet their financial commitment with Inter-Health Canada. She further stated that she felt Inter Health should have been more flexible in terms of accommodating the Government’s financial obligations.
She had also said that Inter-Health, apart from the TCI experience, had strengths in building and operating hospitals and had done work in many nations and have successfully operated internationally.
Asked whether the Virgin Islands Government could learn anything from the TCI experience, Mrs. Davies said Government should be careful and learn from the situation but the department was in a better position to understand how to design a system to make it viable in spite of economic shortfalls.Meanwhile, Dr. Potter stated that it should be noted that the Virgin Islands has a robust health care system which was not the case in the TCI. He said the VI Government could improve its services if it decided to build fewer and bigger health care systems and allow the hospital to deal with health care.
Gov’t to decide on final phaseMrs. Davies told the SFC that Inter-Health Canada was contracted to provide commissioning services that entails developing strategy and plans for staffing, recruiting, providing equipment, information management and looking at policies and procedures for the new hospital. She said the company also conducted a clinical review of the design of the hospital to make certain changes allow the hospital to meet international standards. She explained that what the Government commissioned the company to do was different from running the hospital. She said the first two phases were linked to the completion of the hospital and Government would need to decide whether it would continue up to phase three.
The company was also expected to support the BVIHSA with recruiting, but according to Ms. Davies, that has not initiated as yet and would fall under Phase III of the agreement.According to Inter-Health Canada’s website, it is a global healthcare management firm that specializes in the development and management of healthcare facilities and projects.
Established in 1994 for the purpose of exporting Canada’s intellectual and management expertise in healthcare to the international market, Inter-Health Canada says it brings to its clients the internationally recognised quality and efficiency of the Canadian healthcare system.
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