Free National Movement (FNM) Leader and former Health Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis said the current health minister’s assertions that the 20 beds slated for the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in the new Critical Care Block are insufficient proves that he is clearly out of touch with what is really going in healthcare worldwide.

FNM members on Tuesday took a tour of the building that is 90 per cent complete and Dr. Minnis added that the former administration got expert advice from specialists in deciding the numbers of beds to use and noted that Health Minister Dr. Perry Gomez’s comments that 20 are not enough, is baseless.

“Twenty beds are adequate for where we are today,” he said.

“The specialists looked at the population and the disease distribution and the number of individuals who utilise the beds today and the types of diseases, therefore they made a determination as to how many beds are needed today, 20 years from today, how many are needed 10 years from today just knowing how the population is going to increase and the disease pattern.”

Dr. Minnis said the former administration made it so that even if more beds need to be added that could happen.

“And they would still at least give a five-year window but in either event there are provisions for an additional nine if the need arises.”

While he added that he is happy that the government moved ahead with a lot of the plans the former administration left in place for the completion of the Critical Care Block, he said he now wants to see the government move forward with one other crucial part of the hospital.

“If you were to pass the Labour Ward in the maternity area, from time to time it’s very crammed and filled to capacity; it’s not unusual to see individuals on trollies,” he said.

“I think that’s distressing having worked in that area myself and our kids who represent the future and the mother who basically protects our future its essential to protect those two entities so it’s essential to move immediately with phase two that will include maternity and child health section.”

To date this $55 million, 66,000 square foot, expansion is the largest single investment in healthcare infrastructure the country has ever seen.

Upon completion the critical care block will include six operating theaters with iPod docking stations, 20 intensive care unit rooms, 48 neonatal intensive care beds, 18 recovery beds, a new hospital entry and over $20 million worth of equipment.