Barbados’ new Geriatric Hospital is expected to eventually provide 570 beds, more than doubling the 260-bed capacity of the existing Beckles Road facility, as the government prepares to open the first phase before the end of the year.
Phase I of the new Waterford facility will open with 300 beds, while a further 270 are expected to be added under Phase II.
Speaking during Wednesday’s virtual public consultation on Phase II of the Geriatric Hospital and the National Rehabilitation Centre, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Wellness Francine Blackman said the first phase was expected to open during the final quarter of 2026.
“Right now, we are anticipating that in the last quarter of this year, 2026, we anticipate that we will have the facility open,” Blackman said.
She said construction was nearing completion, with work now focused on procuring and installing equipment and other infrastructure.
“We are working at this point to close to the line in terms of finishes. Different RFPs have been circulated for the procurement of the beds, privacy screens. We’re working assiduously to get the internet and the IT infrastructure in place.”
Dr Shayna Parris, a consultant at the Geriatric Hospital, said the additional capacity represented a significant expansion of the services currently available at Beckles Road.
“At the end of phase two, a further [270] beds will be added to that capacity,” Parris said.
The expansion will also require additional staff, with efforts already underway to recruit more medical, nursing and administrative personnel.
“We are seeking additional staff in order to meet the needs, which will be catered to at the new geriatric hospital because, of course, with an increased bed capacity, we would need to increase our medical, nursing, and administrative staff in order to provide adequate patient to provider ratios,” she said.
Parris said the intention was to recruit locally before looking overseas.
The new hospital has also been designed to address more than the medical needs of elderly patients, with dedicated space for spiritual services.
“I think the integration of the spiritual needs of the elderly was well considered in terms of the design of the hospital,” Parris said.
She said the facility would provide space for chaplains and church services, while the hospital looked forward to working with churches and other faith-based organisations.
“We recognise that it’s not only medical care and medications that they need, but we need to respect and encourage care of the entire person, which includes their spiritual and psychosocial needs.”
SB)
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