(CMR) The Progressives are questioning why plans for the long-term mental health facility in East End to be handed over to the Ministry of Health last month have fallen through, but what no one wants to reveal is that the facility apparently failed planning inspection.
In a statement on Friday, 7th June, the Progressives said, “The members of the Opposition are disappointed that despite firm assurances given in Parliament on June 8th, Minister Turner has announced a further delay of three months for the much-needed mental health facility to be handed over to the Government.”
In the last sitting of Parliament, On 8 June, MP Barabara Conolly, MP for George Town South, asked Minister of Health Sabrina Turner if the Poinciana Residential Mental Health Facility was still on track to be opened on 30 June.
“Based on the latest update from the project managers of the Poinciana Residential Mental Health Facility located in High Rock, East End, I am pleased that the facility remains on track to be handed over at the end of June 2023,” Turner responded then.
However, last week, the Ministry said the handover has been pushed back to September 30 as the Public Works Department (PWD), the project manager, advised that the main facilities, including the administration, workshop, and cafeteria building, are now in the final building inspection phase, with some items not yet being cleared.
CMR sources revealed the facility failed to pass the electrical part of the Planning inspection, and it has not yet gone through reviews from the Fire Department.
According to the sources, the Ministry cannot accept the facility as is because it would be taking on the liabilities of an unfinished project, and a facility cannot be handed over until the certificate of occupancy is received. CMR understands that the failed inspection was a result of some of the planning requirements changing over the long period since ground was broken to build in 2019.
The project is not a ministerial one but one undertaken by the PWD, which will then hand over the facility to the Ministry of Health.
CMR also understands that at least two of the nine cottages are not yet completed, and others are missing elements as the contractor AAA Construction has overrun the budget. Sources have revealed that there are now talks about how to resolve this financial issue, as provisions were made previously for a possible overrun.
“In Parliament, the Minister also provided the House with photographs showing the progress of the facility, and presumably, served as a further indication that the facility was on track for completion by June 30th. In this instance, I suppose photographs were not worth, as the saying goes, a thousand words,” the Opposition added.
The Progressives further stated that “there is still much work required to recruit and train the necessary staff for the facility, to work with families and clinicians on plans for the safe return of patients from overseas, and to develop the necessary community mental health services that will support the effective operation of the residential facility. So we cannot afford any more delays.”
However, they expressed that they were pleased that Ms. Marcia Amoy Mullings-Thompson has been appointed as Head of the Poinciana Residential Mental Health Facility starting today and hoped that with her assistance, the remaining staff can be hired relatively quickly to prevent any further delays.
“Bringing the facility online and operational will help immensely in filling a needed gap in mental health care in our Islands. Other gaps remain to be filled, but bringing this facility online has the potential to revolutionize the mental health care for Caymanians who need it while also reducing the cost of overseas placements to the Government,” the statement continued.
The Progressives pointed out that the project started under their administration and they are as keen to see it completed, adding, “So we shall continue to watch and to ask the Minister as to the progress being made.”
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