SMGH hospital construction delays due to international developments

CAY HILL — Due to international developments, St. Maarten General Hospital (SMGH) construction activities have slowed down over the recent weeks.

As a lingering result of the pandemic, there have been delays in purchasing and shipping materials and steep increases in the prices of construction materials. These challenges make it unrealistic to build the hospital at the original price and by the original due date. SMMC and the contractor (FINSO) are working on a solution to address the increased cost of materials and challenges with shipping.

The result of these discussions might be an increase in the overall SMGH construction budget caused by external factors that are beyond our control. Therefore, SMMC has started discussions to look into additional financing possibilities with the relevant stakeholders (e.g. the lenders, government). It is noteworthy that SMMC is not the only construction project affected by extraordinary price increases as many projects worldwide must deal with the same issue.

As the outcome of these discussions and the chosen path forward is awaited, SMMC continues to improve the delivery of quality care, close to home. Various expansions and upgrades to SMMC’s current facilities, which will be highlighted in the coming weeks, have been realized recently with the support of the Trust Fund managed by The World Bank as SMMC aims to meet the local care demand for years to come. As such, SMMC will continue on its path forward in becoming Fit For The Future.