The Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) will undergo major renovations to its Maternity Ward which according to Health Minister Dr. Perry Gomez will greatly improve services and bring them in line with international practices.

The Maternity Ward at PMH right now has a capacity of 37 beds and 10 nursery cots. An additional 18 beds is expected to be added as a part of the renovations.

The count of live births for the fiscal year ending July, 2014 totaled 3,729, highlighting the need, Dr. Gomez said, for this work to be done.

“This number not only indicates the volume of the demand of hospital based maternity care required, but also reflects on the need to enhance and improve the health outcomes of our maternal care services,” the health minister said during a press conference at PMH Tuesday.

The renovation works will span 16,000 sq. ft. of spaces currently occupied by the Gyne, Ante Natal, Post Natal and Labour Wards. The decanted spaces assigned under the project include the former special care baby unit, and the switchboard unit.
Additionally, a new Day Assessment Unit and Triage area will be created to accommodate four beds, and allowing for increased privacy and adherence to the Public Hospitals Authority (PHA) policy of maintaining privacy and the dignity of service to the persons entrusted to its care.

“Substantial works are also scheduled for two C-section rooms in the Labour and Delivery Wards allowing for improved standards and compliance with international protocols,” Dr. Gomez said. “As a part of the renovation works all auxiliary service spaces will also be upgraded to ensure that these support services are aligned with the improvements.”

The PHA has engaged the architectural firm, The Design Group (TDG). The firm has prior experience with health infrastructure projects, and was chiefly involved in the design of the Critical Care Bock at PMH.

Once the architectural drawings have been completed the project will go out to tender.