Udecott awaiting word on National Oncology Centre

It said in April 2014, the centre’s original designer/ architect, Farrow Architects filed for bankruptcy and their contact was terminated.

When Newsday contacted Farrow Architects Limited Canada via phone to verify whether the company had in fact gone bankrupt, it was told there was a bad connection and to email the responses.

Checks on the company’s website also showed the company having submitted a design for a $1 billion dollar St Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver, Canada.

Udecott also told Newsday that after Farrow’s termination, contractor BBTTCCL (Bouygues Batiment Trinidad and Tobago Construction Company Ltd) was tasked with completing the remaining design elements for the centre. It added that the corporation was awaiting word from the Ministry of Health on the continuation of the project, as it was funded locally under the Public Sector Investment Programme (PSIP).

The Ministry of Health in its response to Newsday on the matter said, “The National Oncology Centre (NOC) has experienced a series of delays since its inception in 2007.

During this time, private institutions have developed the capacity to provide certain aspects of oncology treatment, such as radiation beam therapy by use of Linear Accelerator.

Access to these services is made available to those who cannot afford it through the Ministry’s External Patient Programme. The Ministry of Health is currently reassessing the original scope for the NOC as recent developments may necessitate a different approach as far as how radiation treatment services are offered.” Udecott’s responses said sections of the floor slab foundation had to be demolished and modified in order to meet current seismic design requirements and to also cater for increased services anticipated to be offered at the facility.

The foundation retrofit was completed.

It was reported in 2014 that former Minister of Health Fuad Khan hoped for a 2015 opening after the project was delayed again in 2014.

Udecott also told Newsday the project’s designs were 85 percent complete while construction was 20 percent complete with foundations and floor slab completed. “Fabrication of the steel framing for the first level of the main building was also started,” it said.