Construction starts on East End health project
(CNS): Work has finally begun on the much anticipated first phase of Dr Devi Shetty’s medical tourism project in East End. According to the local partners, some 40 workers, most of whom are said to be Caymanian, are now on the Health City Cayman Islands construction site, where the 140-bed hospital is expected to open in early 2014. Concrete is being poured and the first part of the work by general contractor Cayman Healthcare Construction Group is now well underway. The number of jobs is expected to increase to as many as 300 over the next two months.
The project director said the work going to local people as opportunities for Caymanians, both during the construction phase and on an ongoing basis once the facility is operational, is a priority for the development.
The first ever Planned Area Development (PAD) approval in the history of the Cayman Islands for the project was granted in January and planning approval for the 107,000 square foot hospital building was given the go-ahead earlier this month. The 'first pour' of cement took place last week.
Officials said that innovative technologies would be used at the Health City to mitigate the infrastructure impact of the project; waste from the hospital would be reduced and managed through recycling, reduced use, onsite sterilization of medical waste, incineration, and shredding.
Rain water will be used for non-potable purposes and sewage, which will be treated on site, will be used for the drought-resistant local flora and fauna that will make up the surrounding landscape.
A non-commercial onsite nursery is in the process of being set up to propagate local plants and trees and to recycle felled trees into peat. A road infrastructure plan has also been designed to address phase one and future phases of the development. In addition, officials claimed that the electrical load will be minimized through Salt Water Air Conditioning (SWAC) and high-efficiency building design using insulated concrete forms (ICF).
Despite claiming green credentials, however, there has been no environmental impact assessment on the project, even though it will have a significant impact on the surrounding area and in particular what had been, until the project began, undisturbed habitat home to a significant amount of locally endangered flora.
Nevertheless, both government and the officials on the project have pointed to the significant benefits the project is expected to bring to the Cayman Islands. From the fees paid to government during the planning process of more than CI$300,000 to the purchase of building materials bought locally, officials said the benefits were already apparent.
“Construction workers, attorneys, accountants, architects, consultants, hoteliers, restaurants, and other providers of essential products and services have already begun to benefit,” a release about the start of construction stated.
Recruitment gatherings in several districts have taken place and applications for both the construction trades and the eventual hospital operations have been accepted.
The project is said to be valued at around US$2 billion and will be built in phases over 15 years. Eventually it will include 2,000 beds across a multi-specialty health city, providing services not currently widely available in the region, such as open-heart and bypass surgery, angioplasty, heart-valve replacement, cancer treatment, and organ transplants.
For more information go to www.healthcitycaymanislands.com.
Category: Health
Cayman 's newest Fantasy Land!
Why is it the everyone including the news media nand the politicians believe that the only jobs Caymanians are looking for or should have are contstruction jobs?
We are not dogs. Stop throwing us bones!!
2000 bed s..lol…when pigs fly!! That is the story the told Mark and Mckeeva to get the billions in concessions..
Any fool that believes this also believes in the tooth fairy…
The concessions only kick in if they build something. All their upfront fees like planning, BCU, import duties on construction materials were never reduced. Their biggest concession was medical equipment and who would import med equipment without a place to put it? If they build it they get concessions, if they don’t build they don’t. Good agreement.
Show me that in writing…Mark can tell you any foolishness and you believe him…
Along with the 2,000 beds hospital comes a population explosion not a bad trade off for lots of jobs, people needing properties, new business. This will be good news for Cayman in all areas just as it is for Fiji and George Speight.
again I am waiting on the pigs…Once I see them in the cockpit of Cayman Airways starting her up then I will believe this…nah going happen!
This is something that is going to cost megabucks and in the end will NOT be grand and glorious and profitable as promised. Just another boondoggle!
yep… some people have gotten very bad advice……
it would be interesting to see the business plan……
Residents should learn just how rare a 2000 bed hospital actually is in the real world, and then wrap their head around the liklihood of an institution of that size actually being created in the middle of the Caribbean for non-resident medical tourism traffic. For example, in North America there is only one of this size: New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center at 2236 beds. The second largest in the USA is Florida Hospital Orlando at 1972, third is Jackson Memorial at 1756, fourth is Univeristy of Pittsburgh Medical Center Presbyterian at 1602, and fifth is Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis at 1450. Even the Cleveland Clinic is in 11th place at only 1270, and John Hopkins in Baltimore is 33rd with 924 beds. Canada's biggest is Vancouver Hospital and Health Science Centre with 1900 beds, and that figure includes Vancouver General Hospital's 955 beds. Second largest in Canada is Sunnybrook in Toronto with 1295 beds. Perhaps you can begin to understand just how rare and optimistic this 2000 bed "pie-in-the-sky" number actually is. Don't misunderstand, I think this will be great for the economy at any size, but wouldn't it be nice if we could stick to realistic expectations, rather than the sensational? A 140 bed hospital may be all this ever becomes, and that should be fine and dandy if and when it becomes so.
Different market and different system from the Shetty model. It may not reach 2000 beds but there's no reason to think it won't be much larger than the 140. There's lots of Columbians and Venezuelans out there to market to.
Good luck with the lots of Columbians and Venezuelans out there to market to…(ha! ha! omg) there is Cleveland Clinic in Panama which speaks the native language of Columbians and Venezuelans not to mention Cuba. Really good luck in that market, ha ha ha giggle, giggle lmao, lol, ha, ha, ha, lmao giggle, giggle, OMG. There's lots of Columbians and Venezuelas out there to market to…[snicker] laughter.
There's also a John Hopkins affiliate in Panama. Does very good work. Sadly, Cayman continues to suffer from no hub connection to South America. South Americans do not want to travel via Miami, and its requisite travel indignities.
Psst "Different Market" I have 5,000 acreas of land in NS for sale going at a good price I will accept $5 million dollars and there is a gold and diamond mine located in the middle of it. Please give me a call at 1-800-listed under fool or send me a email at foolsgold.
The brand new John Hopkins in Punta Pacifica in Panama City has about 80 beds. Unless Shetty is planning to stack the bunks 4 high, I don't see it happening. The kind of stayover traffic we hope to draw, are not the sort that will respond well to cramped quarters. How many potential beds in Cuba (with superb care and established international airport carriers and routes)? The 2000 number is pure political fantasy. Even a 500 bed scenario is difficult to rationalise, though I wish it were not so.
Shetty's hospital will bring the same benefits for Caymanians that the Ritz Carlton did. Just look at all the jobs that Caymanians got from the Ritz Carlton, there is no unemployment and the country is doing so well just as was predicted. This shietty hospital deal will bring us streets of gold paved with good intentions, it will be fully staffed by Caymanian. Some of us really belive it too, just like santa and the easter bunny.
The first poster is correct, that this was never tendered –
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxjcHBpY2F5bWFufGd4OjQyYmE2ODdmODQ1NWY0MGE
So FFR does apply?
Hello? As has repeatedly been pointed out by other commenters, this isa PRIVATE by a PRIAVTE investor and therefore FFR does not apply.
FFR only applies to GOVERNMENT projects which of course, is supposed to be in the interests of ensuring public money/our money is spent wisely by our government.
How many times do you have to be told that the Shetty hospital is not a project being undertaken on behalf of CIG but is a private investment? The FFR has nothing to do with it.
This may not be a government project but our government has sure given a lot to get it this far. Will we ever get value for money? God only knows!
There are some who will get value for influence, they never actually put any money IN.
Correction, government has not put one cent in project. Goverment PROMISED some concessions if they build it. That’s all.
Okay, what’s he joke? This is like the 4th time they’ve started. Mac was out there shoveling 9 monte ago.
On a brighter note, maybe there will be some new Ferraris parading around.
All I want to know, as a hard working Caymanian with experience in construction is where are these jobs advertised and how or where do I apply? Got a family to support and between jobs, having just completed work on my last contract. Should anyone reading this have the answer pls reply with the info
Thank you.
How to apply for a job & get more info: http://www.healthcitycaymanislands.com/contact-us
Thank you
I would like to know the following:
1.How many Caymanians will be working on this site
2. How many work permit holders will be working on this site
3. How many of the work permits are held by the developer directly and how many work permit holders are on "loan" from someone else (who still holds their permit but doesn't actually have a job for them).
4. Will everyone receive the proper medical, pension and vacation benefits as per law?
You must have been drinking under a coconut tree somewhere…the contractor had meetings in each district and had sign up sheets at them for jobs. They are required to take as many Caymanians as possible. Stop trying to cause trouble and if you need a job get up and go look for one.
Get off you butt and go look for a job. Just because you are Caymanian does not mean someone will come knock on your door asking if you need one. Get up go search for one!
Let's see who will actually get the work!
There will be a few token Caymanians, don't worry!
How?
What happened to the FFR??
This is not a government project. It is a private project.
funded and supported by concessions of our corrupt , lame duck government!
How many Work Permits have been issued, and what are the Caymanian head count????
add to that how many new business have been formed just to do the work and to cut out the local Entrepreneuer!
NOT funded by our Goverment and concessions only kick in IF THEY BUILD IT! Read please.
This is a private enterprise, nothing to do with the FFR.
but it has a lot to do with our government giving them billions in concessions!
Which they would otherwise not receive at all if there were no hospital.
What? You’d prefer it was stopped? Try telling that to the people who have jobs now.
Not a Government project, a rivate investment, therefore no need for FFR.
FFR??..surely that means Friendly Folks Rejoicing!! Thank God we got some work going!
You Silly goose! This is a completely private project. FFR does not apply here.
Not with all the government concessions given under the MOU! Not tendered and NOT solely private – get a clue!