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A brand new concept geared towards making mental health a global priority


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Tuesday,  October 28, 2008 –  After months of negotiations, planning and preparation, the governments of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and Saint Lucia are pleased to announce that they have reached an agreement on the design of the Psychiatric Hospital.  This agreement has been cemented with the signing of a contract with a reputable engineering contractor and hospital builder from Taiwan.  A ceremony to brand this new concept and to mark the commencement of the engineering and construction work at the Psychiatric Hospital is scheduled to take place at the Neurological & Administrative Building at 11:00 am on Wednesday 29th October, 2008. 

 

Prior to this ceremony a press conference will be held at the Government Information Service Studios, 2nd Floor of the Greaham Louisy Administrative Building, Waterfront, Castries at 10:30 am on Tuesday, 28th October.  Members of the media will be invited to attend this press briefing where details of the design will be produced and explained and technical staff from the Taiwanese Hodlyear company as well as officials of the Government of Saint Lucia will be on hand to answer questions. It is expected that in less than twelve months the new Psychiatric Hospital will be completed and presented to the people and Government of Saint Lucia.

 

In the letter addressed to H. E. Ambassador Tom Chou dated 30th May, 2008, the Government of Saint Lucia officially informed the Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) of its “decision to complete the new Psychiatric Hospital during the 2008/2009 financial year.  The overriding objective of the Government of Saint Lucia, as indicated by the Hon. Prime Minister in his recent Budget Address, is to create a health service delivery system that is accessible, affordable, of international standard and is sustainable in the long run.

 

The new Psychiatric Hospital is part of the expansion of our health infrastructure, which will be the main focus of our investment in the Health Sector in this financial year and will involve:

*0Transforming the new Psychiatric Hospital into a Neuro-Psychiatric Centre including about 84 beds for psychiatric patients and a number of about 20-24 beds (or two wards) for neurological diseases and geriatric (or other) patients with disabilities where care is focused on intensive nursing and interdisciplinary diagnoses and treatment concepts rather than on medico-technical services; and

*1Merging kitchen, laundry, medical records, conference and library rooms, and administrative services for the Neuro-Psychiatric Centre and the new General Hospital (Medico-Surgical Centre) within the premises of the Neuro-Psychiatric Centre (psychiatric hospital under construction), thus creating functional synergies in the utilization of the technical and administrative services and reducing the space needed at the new General Hospital.

 

Prime Minister, Honourable Stephenson King in his address to the nation on Wednesday, 4th June, 2008 said of the Psychiatric Hospital, “Government has now concluded the plans for completion of the new facility and the Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) has now agreed to commence completion works within the next quarter.  The estimated cost of the completion works is US$6 million dollars.

 

It is against this background that the engineers and staff from the Embassy had been involved in discussions with their Saint Lucian counterparts with a view to commencing work at the earliest instant.  More or less than 150 local workers will be employed to reinforce the working staff, in addition to a core managing group from Taiwan and a long-term supporting team from the Philippines.

 

The new Psychiatric Hospital is aimed at providing professional medical care and service to the mentally-ill in modern day facilities.  Space will also be reserved for the general patients and the staff of the future General Hospital as requested by the Government of Saint Lucia; however, there will be a clear distinction and separation between the above two functions.  The outpatient department (OPD) and wards of the psychiatric patients will be using the Diagnostic Building, Recovery Units, and Independent Living Units while the OPD and Wards of the neurological, geriatric, and general patients are allocated in the Neurological & Administrative Building, where administration space, dorm, central kitchen and dining hall are designed to cope with the needs for both the Psychiatric Hospital and future General Hospital staff.

 

The engineers of the building company would like to share the following information with the general public regarding to the major construction & engineering works they are proceeding to finish:

1. Structural Work

2. Internal Configuration / Finish/Fixtures

3. Mechanical Work (Plumbing & Drainage)

4. Sewage System & Treatment Plant

5. Electric System Work

6. Energy Supply Plant

- Water Storage Pumping & Reticulation

- Generator

- Solar Heating System

7. Special Amenities

- Fire Fighting Apparatus

- Fire Alert and Alarm System

- Lifts/Elevators

8. External Works

- Pavements

- Steps, Ramps & Handrails

9. Internal Roadway, Circulation & Accesses

10. Terrace Walls & Slope Repose

11. Major Retaining & Partition Wall

12. Clean up & Cart away Spoils

 

In order to give the general public a clearer idea about the differences between the original and the revised designs, a concise comparison table is provided as follows:

 

A Brand New and RIGHT Concept          

 

Original Design

Brand New Design

A. Planning

 

A general hospital type to house the psychiatric patients- a design not incorporating the essential characteristics of the psychiatric patients

A professional psychiatric hospital to house the psychiatric patients.

Examples

a. Toilet design

 

 

 

 

- Shower spray nozzle is the ordinary extruding type which

might be used by the patients to commit hanging suicide.

 

- Spray nozzle is hidden inside the top ceiling with only the circular head being exposed outside.

 

 

- Toilet door is the ordinary type which completely covers the opening. This will hinder the nurse from early notice of the unusual activities inside.

- The door is half-piece type which only covers the central portion of the opening. This enables the nurse to spot the potential dangerous activities the patients might have in it.

 

b. Ward

 

 

 

-Kitchen with gas stove is set up in the public area of the ward. This is dangerous for potential fire incidence since the patients are in a unstable condition.

- Kitchen is removed from the ward zone. The central Kitchen in the Neurological& Administrative Building will provide the food the patients need.

 

 

 

 

 

- Isolation room with steel door which serves as a cold prison basically is set up for acute psychiatric patients.

- Protection room is provided with low bed as well as soft cushion on the floor and walls to prevent the acute psychiatric patients from hurting themselves through violent physical action.

 

 

 

- not provided in the design

- The transparent glass is set up all around the nurse station to provide a clear view of the activity of the patients.

 

- not provided in the design

- The wire net is installed inside the glass window of the ward to prevent the patients from breaking the glass and, in the meantime, from escape.

 

 

- not considered in the design

- High ceiling, no closet suspension bar, and low rails at all four sides of the bed are designed to prevent the patients from committing hanging suicide.

 

 

- Only one entrance door is provided

- Double entrance doors to the ward hall which only allow one of them to open at one time are designed to prevent the patients from escape at the time when the medical care personnel or visitors enter.

 

 

- Patients eat inside their own room

- The dining room is provided in the public area to encourage the patients to have more interactions with others in order to be away from self isolation.

B. Facility

- only provide an empty structure with nothing inside

- All basic and necessary facilities are provided which allow immediate function of the hospital after handover. The facilities include:

1. Beds, chairs, curtains, nurse call system, and Medical Console System (MCS) in the ward.

2. Counters, cabinets, couches, tables, chairs, etc. in public areas such as pharmacy, library, administrator's office.

3. Projector, screen, and audience chairs are provided in the conference room.

4. Outdoor signs are provided.

 

C. Sign

 

- not provided

 

- To guide the patients or visitors to the desired location, the following types of signs are provided:

1. Hospital sign system

2. Bed Sign

3. Doctor’s Instruction Card

4. Outdoor Signs

D. Function

 

 

 

- Intended to function as a sole psychiatric hospital

- To function primarily as the psychiatric hospital while providing partial space for the general patients. There is a clear separation between the above two functions with the outpatient department (OPD) and wards of the psychiatric patients concentrating in the Diagnostic Building, Recovery Units, and Independent Living Units while the OPD and Wards of the neurological, geriatric, and general patients focusing in the Neurological & Administrative Building.

- To provide administration space, dorm, central kitchen and dining hall for both the psychiatric hospital and future General Hospital staff.

 

E. Public area outside the buildings

 

a. Covered Corridor

 

 

-         

-The responsibility of the government of Saint Lucia

 

- Covered corridor is provided between the Diagnostic Building and the Recovery Units to provide protected movement during rainy days.

 

 

b. Access Road

 

 

 

 

 

-The responsibility of the government of Saint Lucia

 

- Provide asphalt concrete road at the entrance paths to the Neurological& Administrative Building, Recovery Units, and Independent Living Units.

 

 

c. Soil Backfill

 

 

 

-The responsibility of the government of Saint Lucia

- Complete the soil backfill at the top slope of the retaining wall.

 

d. Landscape 

 

 

-The responsibility of the government of Saint Lucia

- Plant suitable grass in the earth slope to reinforce the stability of the slope.

 

Following are the panorama of the new Psychiatric Hospital, computer-simulated view of different buildings, space arrangements, etc.

 

 

  

1. Panorama of Saint Lucia’s new Psychiatric Hospital

 

 

 

2. Computer-simulated view of the Neurological & Administration Building of Saint Lucia’s new Psychiatric Hospital

 

 

 

 

 

3. Computer-simulated view of the Recovery Unit of Saint Lucia’s

new Psychiatric Hospital

 

 

4. Computer-simulated view of the Independent Living Unit of

Saint Lucia’s new Psychiatric Hospital

 

 

5. Space arrangements for the Neurological & Administration Building of

Saint Lucia’s new Psychiatric Hospital

 

 

 

6. Space arrangements for the Diagnostic Building of Saint Lucia’s

New Psychiatric Hospital

 

 

 

7. Recovery Units are for the acute psychiatric patients while Independent

Living Units are for the chronic ones


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