State-of-the-art hospital for Enga

The New Enga Provincial Hospital not only promises state-of-the-art facilities and services; the infrastructure will also be user-friendly.

The US$159.6 million project, financed through a preferential buyers credit scheme, will not only serve Enga Province but the country as a whole.

The New Enga Provincial Hospital – a level 5 health facility – will have 150 beds, 14 hospital buildings, including five types of staff accommodation, and a construction area of 20,500 square metres.

The Works and technical services director with the Enga Provincial Government, Charles Bannah, said the project, which is worth over K500 million today, has taken into account the majority of illiterate and semi-literate population.

“This is a simple provincial hospital to serve our province’s needs,” he said. “We don’t want to be fancy. But because we have a new 35-hectare site to grow, to expand, to improve.

“Apart from the main departments that are found within a provincial hospital, we can go the extra mile by probably throwing in a CT scan, or throw in something that the country is looking for and is going overseas.”

Bannah explained that the loan facility available at the EXIM Bank of China in 2016 was the preferential buyers credit scheme. Under this arrangement, 15 percent of funding will come from the PNG Government while 85 percent will be from the EXIM Bank.

After the National Executive Council approved the financing arrangement and recommendation for the awarding of contract by the then Central Supply and Tenders Board, the loan drawdown became effective on June 29th, 2017, which saw the PNG Government make a down payment of K20 million to Guangdong Foreign Construction Company, while the Enga Provincial Government paid K3.5 million in October 2017 to complete the 15 percent portion.

Bannah said the project is 50 percent complete, and should reach 60 percent by December this year.

“It’s a three-year loan drawdown period,” Bannah stated. “The loan became effective in 2017. Between now and June 2021, we have to drawdown any funds that are remaining within the EXIM Bank.

“So we’re racing against time.”

(The contractors using a slideshow to show the progress of the New Enga Provincial Hospital)

Author: 
Carmella Gware