St Vincent is among seven Caribbean countries were improved and retrofitted SMART Health Care Facilities project will take place.
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) says an estimated 50 healthcare facilities in seven Caribbean countries would benefit from funds provide by the UK.
The US$38.3 million project is being supported by the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (UK aid).
Eight “priority health facilities” have been approved for retrofitting in St Vincent and the Grenadines.
PAHO said its Health Emergencies Department, in partnership with the Ministries of Health, is assessing health centers, hospitals and similar facilities in Grenada, St Lucia, Dominica, Jamaica, Guyana, and Belize.
The selection of the facilities and the retrofitting works are being guided by a team of regional experts under the supervision of Regional Advisor and Project Manager Dr. Dana van Alphen, using the SMART Toolkit developed by PAHO to assess structural, non-structural, functional and environmentally sound elements.
“I am pleased that we have completed the necessary data analysis to determine the priority facilities that will undergo extensive retrofitting to make them smart, that is to say, safer and greener,” said Dr. Godfrey Xuereb, PAHO Representative for the Eastern Caribbean.
