The Prime Minister recalled the conversation with Saudi Fund C.E.O Sultan Al-Marshad when the fund agreed to grant Saint Lucia a loan. “I said to him, ‘Your Excellency, I would like you to help us fund this hospital’ and he said ‘Yes’.” The agreed amount for the loan is over XCD 200 million dollars. “As soon as he left, I got a letter from the Saudi Fund, stating that they had approved a loan of $281 250 000 Saudi Riyals. I immediately went to my Google, and I found out that was $74,960,040.94 United States Dollars, which is equivalent to $201 642 507.00 East Caribbean Dollars. That is a loan with a 5-year grace period at 2% interest.”

The Prime Minister provided the details of the agreement between the Saudi Fund and the Government of Saint Lucia. “We included a disaster clause - which means that if there is an Act-of-God or a natural disaster, the payment will cease. I really want to thank the Saudi Fund for doing that for us.”

According to Pierre, the funds from the loan “will rehabilitate the east Wing which contains out-patient clinics, family wards, and neo-natal care department; the surgical wing which includes the accident and emergency department, X-Rays, the Lab and surgical operating wings; the western wing - this building houses the kitchen on the ground floor and the administrative offices of the first floor; the southern wing - this room will be sealed [...] for future expansion of the health facility.”

The Prime Minister also issued an apology to the healthcare workers and patients of the St. Jude Hospital who had to “suffer” for over a decade. “On behalf of the Government of Saint Lucia, I thank you. But I have to apologise to them, and I feel they deserve a round of applause.”

Pierre says the construction of the Hospital will be completed at the soonest. “The Hospital buildings, where work will not stop, will be completed at the earliest possible opportunity. We have secured the funding, so what’s left for us now is for us to continue the work on the project.”