The Critical Care Block theatres at the Princess Margaret Hospital are now open and fully operational, the Public Hospitals Authority announced on Tuesday.

The new state-of-the-art theatres have been listed on a rotational system, with the exception of the Endoscopy Theatre, which will be transitioned this month following the completion of the user training exercises. Services are continuing in the existing Endoscopy Suite.

The announcement of the new and fully-functioning theatres come as the PHA announced the new Hospital Planner, Fred Perpall, CEO of the Beck Group of Companies, a major regional conglomerate in architecture.

An elated Minister of Health, Dr. Perry Gomez signed the contract with Perpall at the new hospital facility along with Dr. Herbert Brown, director of the PHA and other hospital administrators witnessing the historic signing.

The contract brings Perpall on with the hopes of significantly improving the operating systems of the hospital.

As CEO of the Beck Group, he is credited with innovative ideas and stellar leadership ability of a company that has 11 offices in the region. Known for his creative mind and innovative thinking, the Beck company boasts on its website about the kind of asset Perpall is to the company.

Similar sentiments were expressed by Minister Gomez, who said Perpall, as a son of the Over-The-Hill community, has the passion that must be injected into the hospital to ensure it works efficiently for all parties concerned. Dr. Gomez thanked him for coming home to share his skills and talents where they are needed most.

Perpall expressed excitement to “think about how this iconic facility can be used over the next 60, 80, 100 years”.

“Many of us have been born at Princess Margaret Hospital. I was born here. My mother passed away here; my family members come here.”

“It’s nice to be back home. I don’t think there is no moment of pride more for me than the ability to harness our firms 100-plus year history in designing. We have worked in the United States and the region. We are pretty expansive and focused on healthcare. As CEO, there is no greater pride for me than bringing our resources back home. This is a matter of personal pride for me to harness the expertise of our country and serve the people and the country I love.

He said it would have been very expensive and somewhat unrealistic to consider building an entirely new hospital facility on an island like New Providence and a country of this size.

Therefore, he said it is prudent to fix what we have, making it a more efficient process for patients and for all who utilize the facility.

The aim is to “think strategically to make sure we have a facility that would stand the test of time”.

Methods will be tested against best practices, he said, and this process should take between six to nine months.

His first agenda is to scrutinize the new Critical Care Block: “We had to look at the space that saves lives.”

“After the Critical Care Block, we want to make sure future phases work in tandem with the initial step. We want to bring the wards up to par and Accident and Emergency and all the spaces. We don’t want to be doing one-offs. The government has engaged us, and our approach has always been collaborative. We don’t come from the outside with answers. We have engaged other Bahamian professionals. We want to harness best practices.”

Several areas in the hospital have now transitioned to the new facility and are currently operational: Laboratory; Intensive Care Unit (ICU); Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit (NICU); Pediatric Acute care Unit (PACU); Medical Surgical Supplies Department (MSSD); and Central Sterile Supplies Department (CSSD).

The food court has not opened as yet, but the PHA will solicit suitable vendors via a tender process that will be advertised in the local media this week.