The delivery of health care services at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) will not be put on pause while the location of a new hospital is discussed.

This was underscored by Minister of Health, John Boyce, as he addressed the opening of the new Cardiac Suite at the QEH, yesterday.

Mr. Boyce stated that while discussions were continuously being held with stakeholders regarding the new health care facility, government was committed to ensuring that the Martindales Road institution was ???kept up and running, delivering the best possible care, and is fully equipped???.

???There is no point sitting around and waiting for a decision to be made as to where and when a new hospital will be built, because every day is important in the healthiness of our nation.

???We took the decision to improve and to spend $23 million in infrastructural development in our air conditioning and electrical systems because without it??? the ability of the building to operate would have died,??? Minister Boyce stressed.

He gave the assurance that efforts would continue to ensure that the facility remains a leader in the area of health care delivery in Barbados and across the region.

Chief Executive Officer at the QEH, Dr. Dexter James, underlined that the development of the new Cardiac Suite would not be possible without the electrical upgrade. He noted that Government???s contribution, along with that of the European Union, Sandy Lane, the Goddards Group and other philanthropists, would allow the QEH to ???provide services not only to the resident population but for the population of the region???.

Affirming that the hospital was competent in addressing current cardiovascular needs within and outside of Barbados, the QEH head pointed out that there were two cardiothoracic surgeons, three invasive cardiologists and one anaesthesiologist specialising in cardiothoracic anesthesia on staff.

sharifa.medford@barbados.gov.bb

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