New Seychelles Hospital to meet international standards |25 October 2023
The meeting in progress (Photo: Joena Meme)
The new Seychelles Hospital will be located at Mont Fleuri and is expected to remain relevant for at least the next 100 years as well as adaptable to changing technologies.
All these information came out of the first meeting of the technical committee for the new Seychelles Hospital which took place yesterday at the State House and chaired by President Wavel Ramkalawan. The primary objective of the meeting was to kickstart the project and for all stakeholders to get acquainted with each other.
Chief executive of the Seychelles Infrastructure Agency, Jitesh Shah, said “as the president has already announced, the country intends to construct a new hospital. In the coming months, discussions and consultations will intensify. We have discussed the current location of the hospital, which is in Mont Fleuri. It is essential for us to understand the construction site, the necessary requirements, and the facilities to be included in the hospital. We have also considered the space required for this project. The meeting was to bring all stakeholders on board to ensure we are aligned in our approach”.
Regarding the hospital's specifications, CEO Shah indicated that ongoing conversations have already provided indications of the hospital's size and the approximate budget.
The meeting was attended by Vice-President Ahmed Afif, Ministers Peggy Vidot (Health) and Billy Rangasamy (Lands and Housing), health professionals, the management team at the Ministry of Health, and individuals with prior experience in healthcare facility development.
Dr Danny Louange, CEO of the Health Care Agency, emphasised that this new project represents a significant milestone in Seychelles' healthcare development.
“The government recognises the need to address healthcare challenges, and this project will play a vital role in doing so. We also aspire to attain international recognition and elevate our standards. One of our major challenges is our existing facility, which is insufficient to provide the level of service demanded by our growing population and the complexity brought by the change in illnesses,” said Dr Louange.
He also mentioned that they would need to reevaluate their requirements for the new Seychelles Hospital although this had been done in the past.
The project is scheduled to commence in 2024, while the current Seychelles Hospital will continue to serve patients. Dr Louange shared that measures will be taken, in collaboration with the Seychelles Infrastructure Agency, to ensure a smooth transition without disrupting services or minimum disturbances.
“In terms of achieving international standards, we already have experience with the St Mary’s hospital on La Digue which meets European standards. We have a clear direction, and we will also seek the guidance of specialists for technical aspects,” added Dr Louange.
The Health Care Agency chief executive specified that the primary objective of the new building is to remain relevant for at least the next 100 years and adaptable to changing technologies.
“The current Seychelles Hospital has been constructed in different phases. The Red Roof building will soon be 100 years, and other sections date back to the 1960s. Various additions and renovation projects have taken place over the years, and these will also be considered in the new plan. The existing structures are capable of continuing to support our services and even in the new plan, we will see how some parts of the building will be re-purposed,” added Dr Louange.
The meeting did not deliberate the funding aspects of the hospital project. However, in line with President Ramkalawan's announcement during the National Day celebrations, State House has already opened a bank account for the 'New Seychelles Hospital' fund and a committee has been appointed to raise funds for this massive and important project.
Vidya Gappy
