On 26th – 27th February, the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) in partnership with the Ministry of Health facilitated visits to three (3) health facilities in Belize as part of the Smart Health Care Facilities in the Caribbean Project funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID).
Isabel Palma, Independence Polyclinic, and Palm Centre Nursing Home were visited by the PAHO team, Ministry of Health staff (including the National Engineering and Maintenance Centre), and companies interested in bidding.
The site visits were part of the tender process, and they provided an opportunity for local companies to familiarize themselves with the scope of works, technical specifications, and PAHO procurement procedures. The visits also allowed for discussions with the facilities’ senior management to familiarize them with the tender process and timelines.
PAHO’s Smart Hospitals Project is also doing retrofitting works in six other Caribbean countries namely, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines. In Belize, a total of five (5) health facilities will be retrofitted under this project, including San Ignacio Community Hospital and Cleopatra White Polyclinic. Retrofitting will follow PAHO smart hospitals standards, including improvement of hospital resilience, strengthening structural and operational aspects and providing green technologies to reduce the risks caused by natural hazards and climate change.
The submission of bids for the retrofitting works of the three health facilities closes on 29th March 2020.
