The Public Hospitals Authority has embarked on Phase II of a major expansion effort on the island of Grand Bahama with the announcement of its purchase of the Island Palm Hotel (formerly The Freeport Inn) at a cost of $1.9 million dollars.
During a press conference today Minister of Health Dr. Hubert Minnis said the acquisition marks another major investment by the government in healthcare. “This huge step forward is another indication of the strategic planning of the Public Hospitals Authority to fulfill its mandate to deliver comprehensive opportunities for healthcare for the residents of our country,” he said. The Health Minister was equally as confident on the far reaching implications of the project noting that, “This acquisition at the ground level has additional implications. On one hand, the RAND Memorial Hospital will now be expanded and facilities engaged for the delivery of quality healthcare. On the other hand, it means an immediate injection into the economy of Grand Bahama once construction begins to amalgamate the two properties”.
Public Hospitals Authority Chairman Mrs. Veta Brown described the acquisition of the Island Palm Hotel - which adjourns the RAND Memorial Hospital site to the north, as a “natural fit” when it comes to the strategic goals outlined by the PHA’s Board and Executive Committee. Among those set targets she said, is the consolidation of hospital services to allow for the maximization of resources and easy accessibility. “In this vein, it is necessary for the Public Hospitals Authority to always look for those opportunities that allow us the ideal environment for achieving the seamless delivery of healthcare in order to affect the best management efficiencies and disease prevention” added Mrs. Brown.
The announcement of the acquisition of the Island Palm Hotel comes on the heels of major renovations and expansion works at the RAND Memorial Hospital’s Accident and Emergency and Urgent Care Unit, and the Operating Theatre and Day Surgical Unit; a project which in total has cost approximately $9 million dollars.
The acquisition of the former hotel comprises four (4) buildings including a 156-room hotel. The property runs parallel to the RAND Memorial Hospital.
Media Contact:
Judy Terrell-Hamilton, MA
Corporate Communications Manager
Public Hospitals Authority
Corporate Office Bldg. B
Third & West Terraces Centerville
P.O. Box N-8200
Nassau, The Bahamas
Tele: 1(242)502.3262
Mobile: 1(242)376.3760
Email: jthamilton@phabahamas.org