In an effort to strengthen the public health system in the country, the Ministry of Health and Wellness and the Inter-American Development Bank facilitated the signing of an estimated $2 million contract for the National Reference Laboratory.
The contract signing ceremony was held during a press conference at the Ministry of Health and Wellness on Meeting Street on Monday, May 5, 2025.
The agreement was entered into with Scorpio Construction Ltd., following a competitive bidding process. The project is being carried out in partnership with the IDB for Health System Strengthening.
“Today marks an important milestone for my ministry’s ongoing efforts to strengthen the public health system of The Bahamas,” said Minister of Health and Wellness the Hon. Dr. Michael Darville.
The reference lab will be located at the former Mortgage Corporation Building on Russell Road in Oakes Field and will provide accessible services in New Providence.
Dr. Darville pointed out that in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian in 2019, healthcare facilities sustained an estimated $37.7 million in damage.
With construction of new ones, and renovations to healthcare facilities throughout the country, the ministry is focusing on three main areas:
resilience to natural disasters; sustainability and energy efficient design incorporating EDGE “green building” certification; and adequate design for infectious diseases.
Joana Pascual, IDB Group Chief of Operations/The Bahamas underscored the importance of IDB’s support in such undertakings.
“The health programme is an important aspect of the IDB’s portfolio in The Bahamas,” she said.
Through two investment loans, one non-reimbursable grant, and one non-reimbursable technical cooperation totalling approximately $65 million, she said that the bank is pleased to support the Government of The Bahamas and The Ministry of Health.
“Through the Health Systems Strengthening Programme of The Bahamas, we will finance renovations to the National Reference Lab (NRL),” she said.
And added, “While labs are essential to providing diagnostic information — data on the efficacy of treatment plans, indications of improvements in patient outcomes, early warnings of public health threats — the National Reference Lab is the central mechanism for ensuring quality and reliability of those results.”
Signatories to the contract were Colin Higgs, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health and Wellness and representative, Scorpio Construction Ltd.
By Lindsay Thompson/Bahamas Information Services
The post National Reference Lab being restored and strengthened to ensure quality and reliability of health data and early warnings of health threats appeared first on ZNS BAHAMAS.
