CAY HILL:--- Sixteen writers of Teen Times, a newspaper supplement of The Daily Herald for teenagers, recently toured the construction site of the new St. Maarten General Hospital (SMGH). Upon arrival, the excited writers were provided with personal protective equipment (PPE) to ensure their safety during the tour, as it is an active construction site.
The tour began with a presentation on SMMC and SMGH to allow the writers to make a connection between the construction concepts, technical drawings, floor plans, and the current progress. The presentation, given by SMGH Project Manager Erika van der Horst and Senior Communications Officer Shari de Riggs, covered various topics related to the hospital and the construction project, such as SMMC’s history and current operations, construction progress, upcoming construction activities, and career opportunities within the new hospital.
Many of the writers attended SMMC’s Community Clean-up of Little Bay Pond and bird watching tour earlier in November and were able to make a link between the interior concept of the building and real-life inspiration. After the presentation and safety briefing by the Health and Safety Officer of FINSO, the project’s general contractor, the team was led to the highest current point of the building, which was the fifth floor/technical level and worked their way back down to the ground floor. They were also able to see the future Operating Theaters, Dialysis Department, Radiology Department and Emergency Room. An eye-opener for them was seeing the less than one meter space between the new building and the current facility.
The writers posed many thoughtful questions, indicating their interest in the future of the island’s healthcare and hospital care systems and were invited to return for another tour upon the completion of the project.
“We were delighted to welcome the bright, young minds of the Teen Times team for a behind-the-scenes look at our hospital construction project. Engaging with the next generation of future healthcare professionals, community members, and patients of SMGH is essential as we work to build a sustainable, high-quality healthcare system that will serve them and generations to come, right here close to home”, remarked SMMC.
Both construction and organizational transition activities are in full swing as the hospital prepares to move from SMMC to SMGH in the near future.