Within months of assuming office, Prime Minister Pierre appointed a committee that opted for rebuilding St. Jude Hospital at its original site, a deviation from the last administration’s plans to build an entirely new offering, supported by buildings from the original plan.
Less than three years into his leadership, Prime Minister Pierre has been hailed as the only Prime Minister to access full funding for completing St. Jude Hospital and the renovation of the George Odlum Stadium.
In a statement on the Official Facebook Page of the Prime Minister, he stated the following: “We signed two new contracts with the Saudi Fund for Development, which will facilitate the completion of the St. Jude Hospital for USD 69 million. For the first time in the 15-year history of this project, we have secured all the necessary funding to complete this hospital.
It has been one of my administration’s priorities to facilitate the transfer of patients, doctors, and staff to its original operation site. We have also allocated USD 8 million for the rehabilitation of the George Odlum Stadium, returning it to the athletes of Saint Lucia.”
The reconstruction of St. Jude Hospital will include 100 beds, maternity wards, emergency rooms, and surgical suites, serving thousands of patients annually. The hospital will enhance healthcare quality for the people of Saint Lucia, ensure sustainable service delivery, and improve access to advanced medical care.
The signing was witnessed by CEO of the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD), H.E. Sultan Al-Marshad and Saint Lucia's Prime Minister, Hon. Philip Joseph Pierre.
The Prime Minister, Hon. Philip Joseph Pierre, expressed his gratitude stating, “I wish to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the government and people of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Development Fund and everyone who has played a role in bringing us here today.”
In his remarks, H.E. Sultan Al-Marshad emphasized that the hospital’s reconstruction would empower local communities, strengthen the healthcare sector's ability to meet the needs of the people of St. Lucia, and promote economic and social growth.
The project comes as part of SFD’s long-standing commitment to supporting sustainable socio-economic development in developing countries and Small Island Developing States (SIDS), while contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG.)