Austrian company gets contract to build US$161 million New Amsterdam Hospital

Sep 08, 2023 News

Kaieteur News – Having been contracted last year for the construction of the $31.9 billion (EUR$149 million) Paediatric and Maternal Hospital, VAMED Engineering out of Austria is again chosen to build another health facility, this time in New Amsterdam, Region Six.

Confirming this with Kaieteur News on Thursday was Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony who said that “VAMED is the company that was chosen for the construction of the New Amsterdam Hospital.”

This project did not go out to the usual public tender. Minister Anthony related that the Government of Guyana had an agreement with the Austrian Government which took place couple years back, and it is through that agreement, VAMED was contracted for the job. “We have an agreement with the Austrian Government and through that agreement, one of the projects is to have the New Amsterdam Hospital built,” he mentioned.

Over the weekend at a conference, the minister had stated that just recently they had completed the signing of contract for the construction of the New Amsterdam. Kaieteur News later learnt that the contract is worth US$161 million.

At the conference, the Health Minister had shared that “This [hospital] would be at the same level like the paediatric one we are developing and this would have approximately 220 beds, with five operating theaters and a cardiac suite as well.” It would also have a section for psychiatric patients, and another section where health workers, doctors and nurses would be trained.

The new facility will also be equipped with services and equipment that the current facility cannot provide. This publication was informed that construction of this new facility is expected to start in a month’s time.

It was reported that VAMED is also constructing the child and maternal hospital which would be located at Goedverwagting, East Coast Demerara. This is said to be a 256-bed hospital and is slated to be completed in 2025.

Back in February, the Minister had stated in the National Assembly, that the Austrian Government and the Government of Guyana signed an agreement in 2018 for the development of a number of health facilities here. “One of the facilities that was earmarked was the Georgetown Public Hospital. When we came into government, we reviewed the agreement and we decided at the time, we wanted to build a maternal and child health hospital…and we amended that agreement,” Dr. Anthony said.

“In terms of the financing, we are using the UK banks to finance this hospital and it is a very, very concessional rate and therefore through this arrangement of this MOU, we have been able to do this quite successfully,” he had explained when questioned about the child and maternal hospital. According to its website, VAMED is a global provider for hospitals and other facilities in the healthcare sector. The VAMED portfolio ranges from project development; planning and turnkey construction, via maintenance, technical, commercial and infrastructure services; to the total facility management of healthcare facilities.

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East Coast Demerara, Goedverwagting, New Amsterdam, Paediatric and Maternal Hospital, VAMED Engineering

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