The construction of the new St. Maarten General Hospital made significant strides in 2024, with the approval of the Final Design and major progress in key building works. In photo: St. Maarten General Hospital construction site. Story on page .
CAY HILL--The construction of the new St. Maarten General Hospital made significant strides in 2024, with the approval of the Final Design and major progress in key building works.
By February, 89 of the planned 108 seismic isolators had been installed, while work advanced on the Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) and Technical Building 1. On April 17, the contractor submitted the comprehensive Final Design, which underwent joint review sessions with the Contract Management Bureau (CMB) from May 6 to May 10. These reviews produced agreed revisions, and on July 20 the CMB issued its “Consent with comments,” allowing the project to move into the Technical Design Phase.
Following approval, construction accelerated. By the end of the year, the structural work on Technical Building 1 was completed, and interior finishing works were in progress. The WWTP was also completed and successfully commissioned on December 13, 2024. With the current hospital facility now connected to the new WWTP, demolition of the old plant began, along with preparatory work for the new Emergency Room platform.
Construction on the main hospital building progressed with the pouring of the ground floor slab, columns, and vertical walls. By the end of the year, approximately 95% of the ground floor slab had been poured, along with most of the columns and vertical walls.
Rebar and formwork installation for the first-floor slab began during the holiday season. With the first façade sections in place, the outlines of windows and doors now offer a tangible impression of the future St. Maarten General Hospital (SMGH).
Progress was also made on medical equipment procurement. Throughout the second half of 2024, workshops were held with various end-users, leading to supplier commitments for imaging and kitchen equipment. All medical equipment suppliers under FINSO’s scope are expected to be selected by early 2025, with procurement under SMMC’s scope also set to begin in early 2025.
Hospital staff had the opportunity to witness the construction progress first-hand through monthly guided tours of the site, led by members of the CMB and FINSO, where they were able to ask questions and observe developments.
According to the Annual Report, 2024 was described as a pivotal year for the project, as the Final Design approval paved the way for construction milestones and laid the foundation for the procurement of essential medical equipment.
