Georgetown: Private media were shunned on Friday when de facto President, David Granger, and de facto Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence commissioned the Ocean View COVID-19 Hospital.
The cost which crept from US$5M (G$1B) to a whopping US$8M (G$1.6B). Questions linger about the acquisition cost of the land; how the billion-dollar contract was awarded; where government would source the funds needed and whether the contractors were paid in full.
Almost three weeks after requesting from the Ministry of Public Health a copy of the billion dollar Ocean View COVID-19 Hospital contract, the Auditor –General (AG) is yet to receive word from officials as the audit into the incumbent government’s novel coronavirus expenditure gets underway.
According to the AG, they had met with the PS and were promised that they would be in receipt of the information “shortly.” “That’s what they said,” Sharma added.
Back in May, the AG had announced that an audit would be conducted to probe government’s expenses on the fight against COVID-19, with special attention being paid to the flagship infrastructural project.
Former Finance Minister, Winston Jordan had said that more than $1B will be spent on rehabilitating the property to make it a state of the art COVID-19 hospital. Additionally, an order was signed byVolda Lawrence for compulsory acquisition of the property.
After the formal proceedings, President Granger was asked to respond to concerns about the magnitude of the expenditure for the sanatorium. To this, the President said, “Nothing has been done outside of the law.”
Granger added that “This matter was thoroughly ventilated at Cabinet.” Granger made this statement about cabinet meeting although national assembly was dissolved.
It was de facto Finance Minister, Winston Jordan, who back in April made it known that the APNU+AFC government would have to find in excess of G$1 billion to transform the old Ocean View hotel at Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara into a state-of-the-art facility for the incubation, isolation and quarantine of COVID-19 patients.
That cost, however, did not include a possible purchase price. The President in his reply could not provide that detail but stated that the previous owners were “heavily indebted” to the bank.
“My understanding,” he continued, “is that it’s in receivership.”
“So in financial terms, we don’t have a bottom-line but the Minister of Public Health and the Minister of Finance are quite aware of the level of expenditure and Cabinet is convinced that the expenditure is justified given the health situation,” the President said.
PAHO/WHO Country Representative, Dr. William Adu-Krow who was also present at the ceremony noted that this was an important step in the right direction and extended congratulatory remarks on behalf of his organisation.
“I am confident that this new facility will radically improve the quality of service and infrastructure for patients and staff as we continue the battle against COVID-19,” Dr. Adu-Krow said
The completion of this project is timely as it provides the opportunity for a range of adequate health care even in the light of a public health crisis.
The Coalition, under the Acquisition of Lands for Public Purpose Act, acquired the Ocean View Hotel property through a compulsory order. The order dated April 29 was signed by Minister of State, Dawn Hastings-Williams.
“This notice is made pursuant to paragraph (2)(a) of the Direction by the President under the Public Health Ordinance, Cap.145, and published in the Gazette, Legal Supplement- B, 16TH March 2020,” the Order stated. Neither the cost for the acquisition of the building, nor the land, was stated in the order.
Concerns have also been raised about the long term justification for the use of the hotel and the arrangements that government has entered with the owners. In recent years, spring tides have been causing overtopping causing flooding to areas nearby. Due to the hotel’s close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, back in 2013, the facility took a hit after high tides resulted in significant damage amounting to millions.
A large section of society has called the arrangement corrupt.
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