On July 26, 2024, Hon. Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Taiwanese company OECC to commence the construction of a new Modern Acute Care Hospital at Arnos Vale. The release stated that the signing ceremony took place in the Cabinet Room and was witnessed by H.E. Fiona Fan, Ambassador of the Republic of China (Taiwan), along with Hon. St. Clair Prince, Minister of Health; Hon. Curtis King, Minister of Education; Permanent Secretary Mr. Cuthbert Knights; and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Simone Keizer-Beache.
Prime Minister Gonsalves expressed his anticipation for the hospital to be completed in less than 32 months from the start of construction. He also extended his gratitude to Taiwan for OECC’s swift mobilization and for providing soft loans to address the urgent needs of the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Ambassador Fiona Fan, in her remarks, highlighted the construction of the Arnos Vale Acute Care Hospital as a testament to Taiwan’s commitment to the health and well-being of the Vincentian people. She emphasized infrastructure development as a key pillar of the bilateral relationship and cited this new hospital as another shining example following the successful completion of the Rabacca Bridge, National Library, and the terminal building of Argyle International Airport. Ambassador Fan also expressed her confidence in OECC’s collaboration with local workers to complete the hospital.
Health Minister Prince underscored the importance of the new hospital, stating that it will greatly enhance SVG’s ability to tackle major public health challenges and improve resilience to climate change. He thanked the government and people of the Republic of China (Taiwan) for their support.
The release noted that OECC, a global construction firm, has a history of delivering high-quality services and recently completed hospital projects in the region. OECC plans to prioritize employing local workers, creating job opportunities, and assisting in training skilled labor within Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Both skilled and unskilled local labor will be employed for the construction of the Arnos Vale Acute Care Hospital.
Once the state-of-the-art Acute Care Hospital is operational, it will provide specialized services in cardiology, dialysis, and urology. The release also mentioned that the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital will be repurposed into a maternal child and health center.