RESPONSES GIVEN BY THE MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT,
HONOURABLE MARLON PENN,
TO QUESTIONS ASKED BY TERRITORIAL MEMBER, HONOURABLE CARVIN MALONE,
AT THE EIGHTH SITTING OF THE FOURTH SESSION Of THE FOURTH HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY
OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
ON TUESDAY, 15^th NOVEMBER 2022 

Question 1
Madam Speaker, would the Honourable Minister for Health and Social Development please provide a complete listing of capital projects approved and undertaken by the BVI Health Authority during the period 2015 through 2022, inclusive of contractors, contract sums, scope of works, commencement, and completion dates?

Answer 1

Madam Speaker, a list of all capital projects undertaken by the BVI Health Services Authority during the period 2015 to 2022 has been circulated to Members. The document includes the contractors’ names, contract sums, and the scope of works, along with the respective commencement and completion dates, as requested by the Territorial Member. 

Question 2

Madam Speaker, would the Honourable Minister for Health and Social Development please provide a complete listing of properties purchased by the BVI Social Security Board during the period 2011 through 2022 for the purpose of development/investment of affordable homes, inclusive of owners, dates purchased, valuation amounts and purchase prices?

Answer 2

Madam Speaker, a full listing of the properties purchased by the Social Security Board over the period 2011 through 2022 for the purpose of housing development has been circulated to Members.  The list includes the names of former property owners, the dates on which the properties were purchased, valuation amounts, and purchase prices, as requested by the Territorial Member.

Question 3
Madam Speaker, now that the housing development project at Joe’s Hill is deemed fully completed and being marketed, would the Honourable Minister for Health and Social Development please provide the complete development details of this project inclusive of land costs, design fees, legal fees, program/project management costs, contractors, building construction costs, infrastructural costs and all other relevant costs not specified above?

Answer 3

Madam Speaker the total costs expended by the Social Security Board on the housing development project at Joe’s Hill (inclusive of 52 housing units and a commercial space) as of 31^st October 2022 is summarized as follows:

Question 4
Madam Speaker would the Honourable Minister for Health and Social Development please state how many sales of units at the Social Security Board Joe’s Hill housing development projects have been finalized?

Answer 4

Madam Speaker, none of the housing units developed by the Social Security Board have been sold to date.  Applicants who have been verified are actively seeking pre-qualification for financing from the banks of their choice, as part of the Board’s selection process. 

1.  Please indicate if the units are offered and are being offered to first time homeowners, only?

Answer 4(a)

Madam Speaker, the housing units are indeed being offered exclusively to first-time homeowners, as a qualifying condition at this time. 

2. Are considerations being given to persons wishing to purchase units for investment purposes, only?

Answer 4(b)

Madam Speaker, the short answer to that question is no. Measures are being put in place to prevent the homes from being purchased or used for investment purposes.  Property covenants will require the units to be occupied by homeowners as their primary place of residence; and would also regulate any subsequent renting, leasing, or disposal of the units by homeowners in extenuating circumstances. 

Question 5

Madam Speaker, now that the first phase of the nurse Iris O’Neal Medical Centre has been opened and is fully operational would the Honourable Minister for Health and Social Development, please provide the development details of this project inclusive of design fees, legal fees, program/project management costs, contractors, building construction costs, infrastructural costs and all other relevant costs not specified.

Answer 5

Madam Speaker the expenditure incurred by the Ministry of Health and Social Development in executing the New Nurse Iris O’Neal Medical Centre project is summarized as follows:

In addition, Madam Speaker, the BVI Health Services Authority expended $22,000 to landscape the grounds of the Clinic.

1. Provide a listing of services now being offered at the medical centre?

Answer 5(a)

Madam Speaker, the healthcare services being provided at the Nurse Iris O’Neal Medical Centre include general medical care for both adults and children, along with specialist services such as obstetrics, pediatrics, and diabetes care.  Nutritional and pharmacy services are also available, and a limited range of laboratory services are being introduced. 

2. Provide a listing of additional services envisaged to be offered?

Answer 5(b)

Madam Speaker, in terms of additional health services planned for the existing space, I am pleased to say that a Virgin Gorda resident is currently being trained to provide phlebotomy and laboratory technician services, which are expected to come on stream by the end of this year.  The BVIHSA has also conducted training on its imaging equipment, and additional staff have been recruited to provide x-ray and some ultrasound services.

3. Provide a timeline for the commencement and completion of the 2^nd floor of the new building?

Answer 5(c)

Madam Speaker, subject to funding being allocated in the 2023 Budget Estimates, the Ministry is ready to commence the design and interior fit out works, as well as the procurement of furnishing and equipment required to bring 2^nd floor of the Nurse Iris O’Neal Medical Centre into operation during the coming year.

4. List the services envisaged to be provided on the 2^nd floor of the new building.

Answer 5(d)

Madam Speaker, the 2nd floor of the Nurse Iris O’Neal Medical Centre is envisaged to provide a comprehensive offering of primary intervention services.  Spaces will be configured to house physiotherapy and rehabilitation services, audiology and hearing services, as well as the relocation of the mental and dental services.  Additionally, primary care physician and nursing services will be expanded in the new space to fully allow for the delivery of chronic disease programmes, as well as the expansion of specialist services to meet the priority healthcare needs of the Virgin Gorda community. Madam Speaker, while the specific range of services may evolve over time, the rationale for all decisions regarding future expansion of healthcare services should be guided by health needs assessments and the capacity of the health system. 

Question 6
Madam Speaker, would the Honourable Minister for Health and Social Development please provide a timetable for completion of the contracted capital works at the Peebles Wing of the Dr. D. Orlando Smith Hospital.

Answer 6

Madam Speaker, the recently contracted works at the Major Peebles Wing of the Dr. D. Orlando Smith Hospital are substantially complete, with only a few minor items awaiting delivery and/or installation.  These construction projects entailed the refurbishment of spaces in the older section of the hospital to accommodate expanded laboratory services, the Road Town Clinic, and a new specialty outpatient facility.

1. State what additional works are required for completion of each of the projects?

Answer 6(a)

Madam Speaker, in terms of the existing contracts, the BVI Health Services Authority reports that only minor items remain to be completed. These include replacement of the laboratory door lever, as well as correction of the locksets and installation of a nurse call system in the new Road Town Clinic area.

However, Madam Speaker, I was surprised to discover that, other than the new lab location, these contracts did not include the full scope of works needed to make the facilities fully functional.  Essential works that are still required include refurbishment of the common lobby area, as well as the installation of a lift and stairwell to provide access to the outpatient clinic on the upper level, in compliance with modern safety and accreditation standards.

2. State the opening or operational dates envisaged for each of the projects?

Answer 6(b)

Madam Speaker, the BVIHSA expects to bring the new laboratory space into operation by the end of this year, which would be in line with the timetable for seeking certification of its laboratory services.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the Road Town Clinic and specialty outpatient clinic facilities. As stated previously, Madam Speaker, work is still needed on the common lobby area and staircase, which entails demolition work on the existing stairwell, the installation of a new staircase with access built to accreditation standards, and the installation of a lift.  The current projected cost to complete these works is Five Hundred Seventy-Four Thousand dollars ($574,000), and includes the cost of procuring and installing a lift to ensure safe access to the second floor.

Given the circumstances, Madam Speaker, while arrangements can be put in place to make limited use of the new Road Town Clinic space, located on the lower level, in the interim, the projected dates for bringing these new facilities into full use will be determined once funding is made available to carry out the additional works required.

Question 7

Madam Speaker, would the Honourable Minister for Health and Social Development please provide an update of the initiatives being taken to provide adequate staffing for the complete BVI Health Services Authority to ensure the delivery of service at all clinics and hospitals throughout the Virgin Islands.

Answer 7

Madam Speaker, securing adequate technical and professional staffing for the BVI Health Services Authority continues to present a challenge as we compete with the rest of the world to, not only recruit, but also retain well-trained and motivated staff.  Several countries have resorted to offering significant inducement, including increases in compensation and benefits, and immigration incentives, in order to recruit from a market that has shrunk considerably since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In response to these complex challenges, the following steps are being undertaken by the BVIHSA to help address staffing shortages:

• The BVIHSA has entered into an agreement with the Cuban Health Authorities for the extended deployment of a limited number of physician specialists and nursing staff over the next year;

• New markets for nurse recruitment are actively being explored, including Ghana and The Philippines, as nursing shortages are the most pressing concern at this time;
• Retention initiatives are being reviewed by the BVIHSA Board for all clinical and Allied Health staff to ensure that trained staff can be retained while operating within the budget limits; and
• Staff training arrangements are being expanded in collaboration with HLSCC to provide ongoing professional development opportunities for Allied Health professionals and other technical staff in order to build capacity among existing staff.