Health officials, including clinical and administrative staff from the Ministry of Health, visited the reconstruction site of the St. Jude Hospital to monitor progress on the long-awaited health facility.

The government has reaffirmed its commitment to completing the project as soon as possible, ensuring that residents in the south of the island can once again benefit from a fully functioning hospital.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Jenny Daniel, described the visit as a significant moment for the ministry, given the scale of participation and oversight provided by health professionals.

“Of course, the St. Jude Hospital is a primary health care facility in terms of secondary health care provision on the island in the south. Today was really groundbreaking for us in terms of this project. It is the first time that we have had such a large group and a wide variety of professionals from the ministry providing oversight at this stage,” Daniel explained.

She emphasised that the purpose of the visit was to ensure that the ongoing works reflect the service levels, infrastructure standards, and equipment requirements outlined in the hospital’s design.

“Today's visit revealed a tremendous amount of progress in terms of the redevelopment of the site and the hospital. We are excitedly looking forward to an imminent transition of the hospital to these facilities,” she said.

Daniel added that the new facility will not only provide much-needed relief to hospital staff but will also restore confidence among patients and residents of the south who have been awaiting the hospital’s completion for years.

“It will provide us the relief that the staff need in terms of the provision of services, and also provide a gleam of hope to the clients, the patients, and the residents of the south in general. Based on what we have seen during these visits, we are really certain that this move will happen in a very short period of time,” she noted.

The Ministry expressed satisfaction with the pace and quality of work to date, signaling optimism that St. Jude Hospital will soon be fully operational to meet the healthcare needs of the south.