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Upgrades to Dr D. Orlando Smith Hospital coming- Hon Wheatley

The Dr D. Orlando Smith Hospital will soon receive significant upgrades that reflect the quality and type of service offered by the Territory's Health Services Association. Photo: VINO/File
Hon Vincent O. Wheatley, Minister of Health and Social Development (R9), outlined ambitious plans for 2025 budget allocations aimed at addressing critical health and social development issues, particularly through significant infrastructure upgrades. Photo: YouTube
Hon Vincent O. Wheatley, Minister of Health and Social Development (R9), outlined ambitious plans for 2025 budget allocations aimed at addressing critical health and social development issues, particularly through significant infrastructure upgrades. Photo: YouTube
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI—The Dr D. Orlando Smith Hospital will soon receive significant upgrades that reflect the quality and type of service offered by the Territory's Health Services Authority.

This is according to Honourable Vincent O. Wheatley, Minister of Health and Social Development (R9), who in his contribution to the budget debate during the Continuation of the Twenty-First Sitting of the First Session of the Fifth House of Assembly (HoA) on December 19, 2024.

Hon Wheatley outlined ambitious plans for 2025 budget allocations aimed at addressing critical health and social development issues, particularly through significant infrastructure upgrades.

Speaking on the state of the healthcare system, Hon Wheatley acknowledged there are challenges but remained resolute in his commitment to improvement them affirming, “We're going to facilitate repair and upgrade of key health and social infrastructure, such as the Dr. D. Orlando Smith Hospital, community centres, and social units. These things will continue."

Key infrastructure upgrades

The Minister specifically highlighted projects at the Dr D. Orlando Smith Hospital and pointed to the urgency of repairs to ensure the uninterrupted resumption of essential medical services.

"We're going to do repairs to the Dr. Orlando Smith Hospital's roof; a lot of services cannot happen because the roofs are leaking, and different things have to happen so you can offer the much-needed services,” Hon Wheatley explained.

Additionally, Hon Wheatley disclosed plans to upgrade the hospital's lobby and install a new sign.

"We want to give that building the dignity it deserves. It must look like success because we're going to make it successful. It should look like healing. It should look like wellness. It should look like bringing joy to the people,” he added.

Power supply modernisation

Meanwhile, enhancements to the hospital's power systems were another area Hon Wheatley brought up noting, "We want to connect the main generator in our hospital to the old sections of the hospital. Right now, it runs on two systems. You have the general power in the big building and generators in the old building, including dialysis. These are very old generators that at times give a lot of trouble; we figured the best thing to do is to connect the whole building to the main power supply. We keep the generators as backup.”

Conceding that some past promises had been delayed, such as rectifying the aged old problem of the incinerator, Hon Wheatley used his allotted time in the debate to urge patience and optimism among the citizenry in the Territory saying, “I know we promised this before, but we cannot give up. We are supposed to [be able to] incinerate, and that's what we're going to do. We're going to continue."

13 Responses to “Upgrades to Dr D. Orlando Smith Hospital coming- Hon Wheatley”

  • History (23/12/2024, 09:28) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    Original upgrade costs in 90s bid at 62 million to an outfit with zero hospital experience. Final price upwards of 100 million, and the govt had to solicit donations to commission hospital. Commercial roofs usually come with 30 year warrantees. Usual 5 Ps: poor planning promotes poor performance. And, here we are…no doubt a nice sinecure for someone well connected who’ll get paid some ridiculous sum.
  • Bree (23/12/2024, 09:45) Like (17) Dislike (1) Reply
    Does this plan include a raise for the employees? Ten (10) years and counting, some of us have not receive a raise. Prices increase and they still claim to be working on it. Management getting but employees told they are working on it. How long do it take to do this simple task, but they (management) get raises are every year.
  • Spitting coffee out my nose (23/12/2024, 10:23) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    Bwahahaha did he really just mention the “age old” incinerator?
    • I didnt see quotes (23/12/2024, 12:26) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
      I didnt see quotation marks that he said "age old" , perhaps that coffee has something else in it.
  • jack (23/12/2024, 11:29) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    The money that were removed from social security to loan to hospital has been paid back? Because my parents are over 65 and need to get their pension money without being Hassel by social security board.
  • ... (23/12/2024, 11:55) Like (1) Dislike (10) Reply
    Hats off to Vincent he is working hard
  • Biggie Smalls (23/12/2024, 12:13) Like (6) Dislike (1) Reply
    judging from a comment i read there it seems yall still allowing upper management to give them self fat pay raises while the workers get cut or nothing at all. All it takes is one proper strike to remind aya how important health is.


    include raise for workers in those upgrades
  • resident (23/12/2024, 13:19) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
    Did brah say a significant upgrade is to patch the hospital roof so they can restore critical medical services? Unbelievable. If that isn't Third World, what is.
  • CGB resident (23/12/2024, 13:27) Like (3) Dislike (1) Reply
    This government is beyond ridiculous. Priorities all screwed up. Taking in above comments above but how about some decent parking, parking is a nitemare serious redo the lobby that is perfect and a better sign??????!!!!!! Please will someone with some common sense please take over this project, oh wait no one in Govt seems to have any common sense. Old timers here like me still refer to it as Peebles hospital.
  • Native Senior Citizen of the British Virgin Islands (23/12/2024, 13:57) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    Doctors, nurses and others supporting health care are very necessary to the overall benefit of all the people who are living, and those that visit the BVI daily. In speaking of upgrades to Dr. Orlando D. Smith Hospital, what us is the Hospital without the people that do their duty daily. In a few words, upgrade their asap (no later than the first half of 2025, of which there are deserved same.
    Oh, by the way, I don't mean $2.50 an hour pay hike as was promised to minimum wage workers. They deserved much more.
    VIP, stop with-holding the deserving Health care workers their well deserved finances, and other, school teacher salary raise included, too

    Note, below:

    To all people that living in the BVI; annual Christmas Celebrations come and go, don't do any thing stupid that will cussed others and or you to go prematurely. Enjoy the remainder of this year, 2024, then after, Happy New (2025) year to you all God's willing.
  • Wellsah (23/12/2024, 18:36) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    there is an old saying in Texas and I believe the Virgin Islands that goes fool me once shame on me
  • Really (23/12/2024, 20:41) Like (0) Dislike (8) Reply
    @Bree this is why the government are taking your jobs and replacing you with Tesla robots. They said humans complain about everything. You don't have to worry about a raise ask the robots at the all robot operated hospital. All AI so don't worry about pay that's the least of your problem


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