Overcrowding in the maternity ward of the Georgetown Public Hospital may soon be a thing of the past as a $258M contract to extend the ward was yesterday opened.
The bids were opened at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB), Georgetown.
Over the years, especially at delivery peak periods such as in November, overcrowding has seen mothers and their newborns have to share a bed with another patient.
The GPHC has said that it has recognized this issue and that plans were in the making for the remodelling of the Obstetrics and Gynaecological Department to accommodate at least 16 more beds in the pre- and post-natal wards.
This, it said, would “hopefully alleviate” the bed-sharing situation.
““It is not a matter of turning a blind eye and/or ignoring the problem; however, in some instances discomfort is faced before an ideally comfortable situation is created. It, however, takes time and resources, both of which are being expended by management to ensure the comfort and safety of our patients,” the hospital had said in a statement.
If granted a no-objection by cabinet, the project would commence early in 2015. Three companies placed bids for the project and their respective bids and the engineer’s estimate is shown in the table below
