Fears put to rest after Seismic/Geotechnical; Structural Engineers and Design Experts for the Couva Children’s Hospital meet with Honourable Ministers; UWI Seismic Centre Team and Industry Colleagues.
August 19, 2013.
Fears regarding the stability of the proposed Couva Children’s Hospital were put to rest in the wake of last Friday’s meeting at the Ministry of Housing, Land and Marine Affairs Port of Spain Offices when Seismic/Geotechnical; Structural Engineers and Design Experts for the Hospital, met with Honourable Ministers Dr. Roodal Moonilal MP, Minister of Housing, Land and Marine Affairs and line Minister for UDeCOTT and Dr. Fuad Khan MP, Minister of Health; Permanent Secretaries, UDeCOTT Chairman Ms. Jearlean John; senior UDeCOTT Personnel and members of the UWI Seismic Centre.
Acting Head of the UWI Seismic Research Centre Dr. Joan Latchman and her colleagues, along with National Building Code Committee Chairman Shyankaran Lalla and Geologist Dr. Krishna Persad attended the meeting.
The UWI Seismic Team was very pleased to see that full due diligence was adhered to before design and construction of the Couva Children’s Hospital even commenced and welcomed continued collaboration on designs going forward with the UWI Seismic Team, in addition to the sharing of information and expertise as assured by Minister Moonilal. The Housing Minister also stressed that there would be collaboration between Ministries and the National Building Code Committee.
The UWI Seismic Team noted that a comprehensive Geotechnical Investigation was conducted by a highly respected and independent company and their report resulted from Reconnaissance Surveys; Detailed Topographic Surveys; Fifteen (15) Boreholes; Nine (9) Test Pits, a Rigorous Laboratory Testing Programme; Desktop Studies among other tenets.
Furthermore, the Architect for the facility, the world renowned HKS, (which for the past 74 years has remained a top-five US Architectural firm), used the Seismic Design Parameters as set out in the Geotechnical Report inclusive of surface displacement and liquefaction. HKS applied best practice in accordance to the international recognized code ASCE 7; International Building Code, with the use of UWI Seismic Research Unit Hazard Maps.
HKS Facts:
HKS Rankings/Awards
In the event of a major earthquake the Couva Children’s Hospital design will allow for continuity of operations, care of patients and receipt of casualties and those in need of health care.
The hospital will provide important health care for all patients admitted, included healthcare for immediate neighbours at the Pt. Lisas industrial Estate, Residents of Couva, Pointe-a-Pierre and environs, Petrotrin Workers or even Athletes taking part in sporting events at the nearby Ato Boldon Sports Complex.
Over the next two years twenty six hectares of land will be dramatically transformed by the construction of the 230-bed Hospital, which will also provide training in nursing, pharmacology and optometry.
It will include a specialized modern Children’s Hospital, a Burns Care Unit and Helipad.
This complex will extend medical services to meet the needs of children and adults. It will also be the springboard for an exciting new economic thrust to create a health care tourism sector in Trinidad and Tobago; a development strategy, advanced and inspired by the Honourable Mrs. Kamla Persad-Bissessar SC; MP and Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
It is envisaged that in later phases, the complex will include a hotel, a shopping centre, recreational area and residential accommodation.
This full capability Hospital and Training Facility, has been thoughtfully designed, would be world class, with state-of-the-art, high-end medical equipment.
The Ministry of Health’s personnel fully participated in the design of the facility, tabling pertinent end-user needs.
A minimum of 40 per cent local content will be used during construction of the hospital – consisting of local labour; equipment; materials and other domestic resources.
Citizens of Trinidad and Tobago will also benefit from a significant transfer of technological knowledge during the construction phases of this project – an unparalleled opportunity to witness and fully benefit from cutting edge design and construction technologies, which will be employed in this project.
The facility is located along this country’s major North-South transportation axis.
Ends.
Contact: Roxanne Stapleton-Whyms
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