EAST GRAND BAHAMA – The Government marked a significant milestone on the long road to recovery from Hurricane Dorian today with the commissioning of the High Rock and McLean’s Town Community clinics.
In 2019, the historic devastation wrought by Hurricane Dorian impacted private homes and businesses and critical public infrastructure across the Northern Bahamas. This included the public hospital in Freeport as well as the community and satellite clinics in East Grand Bahama.
“The repair and reconstruction of public infrastructure has been a major priority for this administration,” said Prime Minister the Most Hon. Dr. Hubert Minnis at a commissioning ceremony for the clinics on Friday 23 July 2021.
The Prime Minister acknowledged the contributions and assistance of the country’s friends and partners from abroad who helped the Northern Bahamas rebound, particularly the Direct Relief international aid organization.
Earlier this year, Direct Relief donated seven modular units for the reconstruction of the High Rock Community Clinic, and on 22 March Direct Relief and Build Health International started reconstruction of the clinic. Four months later, the new clinic will be open for service.
The new clinic houses a waiting room, spaces for patient registration, screening/triage, a pharmacy, treatment room, sluice, clinic administration, examination rooms, staff lounge, sterilization room and a full dental suite, which is an improvement over the previous facility.
It also has the capacity to facilitate the redundancy of backup water so that assistance may be granted to the community residents in case of emergency.
“The generosity shown by Direct Relief and Build Health International in reconstructing the High Rock Community Clinic is just one example of the kinds of public-private partnerships necessary to build critical infrastructure throughout the country,” said the Prime Minister.
In McLean’s Town, the community clinic suffered catastrophic damage.
The McLean’s Town clinic was renovated by teams from the Grand Bahama Health Services and Public Hospitals Authority, as well as all local contractors.
Works included structural repairs and renovations to the treatment room, dressing room, screening/triage room, exam room, pharmacy, patient registration room, emergency bay and waiting room.
The refurbished clinic now has a solar power and can generate enough solar energy for Grand Bahama Health Services to sell power back to Grand Bahama Power Company.
The Prime Minister noted that the groundbreaking is expected to be held shortly for a new four-story health complex that will house all in-patient services as well as a public health clinic for Freeport.
“This is what progress looks like when we put our shoulders to the wheel and ensure the best outcomes for the Bahamian people,” said the Prime Minister.
