Friday 17 July 2020Health news3 minutes to read
“The final sign off for funding for the first stage of demolition which will see some of the existing buildings demolished and asbestos removed has been received today. Once this demolition and asbestos removal work is complete building will be able to start on the new Buller Health Centre,” Rick Barker, Chair of the West Coast District Health Board announced today.
The Government has approved up to $1m in additional funding on top the $20m approved in Budget 2018.
“Cake Commercial Services Ltd , will be the contractor undertaking the work, and we expect specialist staff to be on site during the last week of July.The demolition and asbestos removal work is expected to take about six months to complete.
The asbestos removal will see material removed from the ceilings, tunnels, walls and roof of the ‘Old Kitchen Caretakers Block’ and Morgue. This will be undertaken by licenced asbestos removal contractors who will wear full PPE at all times. Once removed it will be taken to the approved asbestos dumping facility.
The process of hiring the construction contractor will take place while the demolition and asbestos removal is taking place. This will happen in two stages.
The first stage will be a Registration of Interest (ROI), which will produce a shortlist of applicants who will then be invited to progress to the second stage – a Request for Proposal (RFP). A preferred contactor will then be selected.
Health Minister Chris Hipkins says the people of Buller and the staff that care for them deserve a modern, purpose-built health facility and it will be great to see work getting underway on-site.
“This 12-bed Health Centre will house a range of services including General Practice, patient rooms, primary birthing and postnatal care, palliative care and Urgent Care.
“The West Coast DHB’s community services, Māori health service and mental health service will also be located within the new Buller Health Centre.
“Clinical services will be supported by radiology and laboratory support services on the same site. The co-location of teams will facilitate a collaborative approach to providing health care, with a focus on improving the patient experience,” Chris Hipkins said.
Rick Barker says construction of the new facility is likely to begin two to four weeks after demolition has finished and all asbestos has been removed and should take around 24 months to complete.
“We expect the West Coast DHB will be able to begin relocating services to the new facility approximately three months after completion, to allow time for the installation of fixtures and fittings and a full clinical clean, followed by staff migration,” Rick Barker said.
“With funding already approved for the construction of the new Buller Health Facility I do not expect any more delays.
“This should be a continuous process, from demolishing the old and building the new, to the transfer into and the start of providing services for the people of Buller in a new, purpose built modern health facility.
“I’m looking forward to when the community will be able to see real progress on site from the end of the month onwards, when the first stage of the work commences,” Rick Barker said.
ENDS
Page last updated: 17 July 2020
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