ST JUDE’S WE CRY FOR YOU

The Reconstruction of St. Jude’s Hospital can be defined as the second disaster, it is an event that must become a memorial of what never ought to happen again in the history of St. Lucia. I intend over a series of articles to place this as a historical record of poor policy, mismanagement and very poor engineering.

On September 09 2009, almost 5 years ago, there was a tragic fire at St. Jude’s hospital, some lives were lost and an entire wing was destroyed. There was an outpouring of monetary support from the people of St. Lucia, Hess Corporation, the USA government, many NGO’s and more significantly the Taiwanese Government. Within 3 weeks after the fire then Ambassador Tom Chou, was able to convince his Government to provide support. A team of experts came down to St. Lucia and generated full designs for the Burnt Wing. The financial assistance was to reconstruct the building and install all the new and modern medical equipment. Indeed a wonderful gift to the people of St. Lucia. For months after this offer nothing happened, the then Government decided not to reconstruct the new wing at St. Jude’s and began an exercise to look for a new site.

In the mean time the Taiwanese were a bit disappointed that their offer of assistance was not being embraced. The thinking at the time was that reconstructing St. Jude’s and building a New Facility would result in a duplication of efforts. As a committed citizen of St. Lucia, I though it wise to get involved. I went to the Taiwanese Embassy and asked for a meeting with the Ambassador, he advised that the funds allocated to St. Jude’s could not be transferred to the New Facility and thus it would be a lost opportunity.

With an understanding of the processes involved in the design and construction of a new Hospital, I knew that this would be at least 5 years before a patient would enter that facility. To shut down the use of the George Odlum Stadium for 5 years was totally wrong. More importantly such a facility would cost over $ 150 million, and this could not be sourced from traditional financial institutions easily. The present New National Hospital is being constructed using grant funds from the EU.

We were now in April 2010. I then concluded that I could interface with the then Minister of Sports and Deputy Political Leader to see if he could get into the decision making process, as this would ultimately affect him as the Minister responsible for Sports. The following is an excerpt of the correspondence sent to then Minister Lennard Montoute:

”The issue that has been played out is whether there should be duplication of effort. Do we need a refurbished St. Jude’s and a new facility or should we go with a modern facility to service the South. The answer is clear, we need a modern facility for the South, however a refurbished St. Jude’s is not a duplication of effort.

If we proceed to refurbish the existing site, we can have a facility operational by November 2010, and the Stadium ready for usage. The drawings for the new facility will not be ready until November 2010, then assuming at least an eighteen month construction period, we are looking at completion in July 2012. Even with the phased use of the new facility, it is unlikely that it will be completed before September 2011.

In accordance with the present concept the earliest exit from the stadium is September 2011.

I go back to the present concerns of duplication of effort. Let us assume that we can finalize discussions with one of the off shore Medical schools based in Vieux Fort to utilize the refurbished St. Jude’s on completion of the new facility. The Government provides the building with an arrangement that scholarships for 10 St. Lucian are provided every year. 

We would have a win-win situation as follows: a. The stadium is cleared by November 2010 b. St. Jude’s has a modern facility until completion of the new building c. Ten St. Lucians per year are able to pursue studies in Medicine d. The Off shore Medical School in St. Lucia is enhanced and can boast of better facilities thus attracting new students to the benefit of the local economy. The above will not cost the Government one cent, as the contributions from the public together with the Taiwanese aid will cover all the cost. As I said yesterday, I am willing to give of my time to assist in restoring the stadium to its proper use in the shortest time frame.”

The above may have caused a change in the mind of the Government as this was reflected in the Budget Address a few days later. The Minster of Finance stated the following in the Budget Address of 2010-11.

St. Jude Hospital Reconstruction Project

”Madam Speaker, September 09, 2009 was a sad day in Saint Lucia’s history, when the St. Jude Hospital, a major referral hospital located in Vieux Fort was devastated by fire, leaving its patients out in the cold. This fire destroyed the surgical ward and the operating theatres of an already aging plant, resulting in significant and major disruptions and termination to services in the south of the island. The George Odlum Stadium has been temporarily converted to a hospital. We are cognizant of the inconveniences caused to our many sports enthusiasts around the island. Madam Speaker, the St. Jude Hospital provided a number of in-patient, outpatient, ancillary and outreach care. Government has taken a policy decision to reconstruct the St. Jude Hospital. Of great importance also, is the location of the Hewanorra International Airport in the south of the island, which requires that there be access to emergency medical and surgical services on a 24 hour basis. The need to rebuild the hospital has presented Government with a golden opportunity to reconstruct and modernize the new St. Jude Hospital as a world class health care and teaching facility, with international accreditation standards. In fact, this may well become the catalyst to start the process of creating a structured and organized university community in Vieux Fort. However, there are limitations associated with the existing site. Its eastern portion is steep and an invasion of squatters along its northern, southern and western boundaries makes expansion difficult. The shape of the 25 acre lot also presents limitations. Government has, therefore, decided to reconstruct the new medical facility on a 21 acre site located within close proximity to the George Odlum Stadium.

Madam Speaker, Government has, therefore, decided to proceed as follows: 1. Reconstruct the surgical building on the old site, using funds allocated by the Taiwanese government (US$2 million). This building will be able to provide a maximum of 32 beds. It will also house all the critical services and be made fully functional to allow St. Jude Hospital to relocate from the stadium and operate until the new facility is built. This would also make it possible for the stadium to be returned to the sports community which has demonstrated much patience and understanding so far. The reconstruction of the surgical building is expected to take 6 months. This component will commence by May 2010 and be ready by October 2010. 2. Construct a new 90 bed health care facility for St. Jude Hospital at the new site near George Odlum Stadium. The Planning and design phase of this component is expected to take 6 months. The construction of the key phases of this new facility will take 2 years. Upon relocation of St. Jude Hospital to this new facility, the old site buildings can be refurbished and the entire compound be developed as a Medical Research Facility. Alternatively, this site can be utilized by one of the Medical Schools currently operating in Saint Lucia.”

CONCLUSION: LENNARD SPIDER MONTOUTE HAS NO BLAME TO BE APPORTIONED ON THIS DISASTER.

At the end of PART 1, we were at the juncture of the Budget Address of the Financial Year 2010-2011, presented on April 19th 2010. PART 1 also exonerated the then Minister of Social Transformation Youth and Sports as there was evidentiary material to support the fact that he was very concerned with any long stay of St.Jude’s Hospital at the George Odlum Stadium. This indirectly suggests that Minister Montoute wanted St. Jude’s completed in the shortest possible timeframe. The scope of the project as presented in the Budget Address of the Financial Year 2010 – 1011 is very lucid and the Budget Address which received Parliamentary approval provided for a definitive pathway forward on St. Jude’s.

In summary the scope of work that constitutes the development of the medical facilities in the south of the island are as follows:

a. Refurbish the Burnt Wing using the Taiwanese contractors, the project is to start in May 2010 and be completed by October 2010, a period of six months

b. The process for the development of a new Medical Facility for the south is to begin.

A very clear policy position, describing two distinct projects has been placed in the public domain.

The month of May comes and goes, and no work has started, June comes, July comes, September comes and then we are in October. Hurricane Tomas hits St. Lucia in October 2010 causing significant destruction, and our economy takes a battering. Attention is rightfully focused on the recovery after Hurricane Tomas for the next three months, and then in January 2011, an effort is made to start the project. Let us not forget the defined projects

– Refurbish the Burnt wing at St. Jude’s using the Taiwanese Funds

– Start the process for the Development of a new Hospital in a different location.

Discussions are initiated with Holdyear, a Taiwanese company who are specialists in the construction of hospitals. They are mobilized in St. Lucia having worked on the National Wellness Centre and the National Tennis Centre. A contract is finalized and drawings are being forwarded for review.

A hospital is a complex structure because of the high content of mechanical and electrical work. It requires specialist knowledge in its design and construction. The consultant should be experienced in hospital construction and the contractor should have been involved in a similar project. While a contractor may be good at constructing office buildings he will struggle building a hospital, and if the consultant has never designed a hospital and those on the ground are novices, you will have significant rework. It is for that reason that HOLDYEAR was suggested by the Taiwanese Embassy as a Design/Build contractor, you needed an experienced contractor and designer to do such a project in 6 months.

In March 2011, HOLDYEAR was informed that the Government of St. Lucia took a decision to have a nominated sub-contractor on the project. For those who do not know the Contractual term, a nominated sub-contractor is one which the Employer tells the Main contractor that I want you to use this sub-contractor. Cyril Dornelly Construction Ltd was presented by the Government as their contractor of choice as the nominated sub-contractor.

We are in March 2011, a consultant is on board, the individuals representing the consultant on site have never designed a hospital, a nominated sub-contractor has been rested on the Main Contractor, that sub-contractor has never worked on a hospital. The whole intent of the Design/Build approach is lost, and this is the genesis of the problem. The drama begins to unfold.

I must share why the name St. Jude’s will always be special to me. Some 40 yrs ago as a young 12 yr old, I attended an Anglican Church in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago in a city called Arima. The name of that church was St. Jude’s Anglican. At that time there was a new priest by the name of Andrew Primus, who had just returned from England and was transferred to St. Jude’s Anglican. Father Primus as he was then called, began to search the bible and there was an intense desire to know more about the Holy Spirit.

This thirst and hunger for more of God led him to interface with some of the Pentecostal leaders within the community. He became a Pentecostal Anglican and started a transformational revolution of his beliefs. As a young boy I was caught up in this whirlwind of change and gave my life to the Lord at this tender age, a decision I have never regretted. It shaped my way of thinking, it gave me a level of confidence in who God is and who I am.

Two years into this ‘ Martin Luther’ experience, Father Primus was excommunicated from the Anglican Church and as a 14 yr old, I became part of a new revolutionary movement. So the words St. Jude’s are etched in my memory forever.

PART 3 will takes us to the changing scope of the project. Stay tuned as the drama unfolds.

At the end of PART 2 , we were in March 2011, a consultant has been appointed, a contract with a Taiwanese company is in place, and a nominated sub-contractor is also identified. In the Financial year 2010-2011, a clear policy was enunciated, and in the same financial year the policy has shifted. So we enter the month of April 2011, the Budget Address is presented on April 14th 2011, and a statement as follows is made concerning St. Jude’s:

” Saint Jude Hospital The Government of Saint Lucia remains committed to the Reconstruction of St. Jude Hospital to a facility which not only allows for the original services to be reinstated, but also allows for the expansion and growth to meet the growing needs of Saint Lucians and our Caribbean family. Reconstruction work on the original site is progressing smoothly and is expected to be completed by the last quarter of this year. An amount of EC$23.7 million is provided for in the budget to meet reconstruction costs and the provision of other amenities.” One must recall that in the previous year’s budget, the policy that was articulated called for completion of the Burnt wing and the development of a new facility in the South. The Burnt Wing project was earmarked for completion by October 2010 and executed by the Taiwanese. So we begin to see a further shift in policy being put forward. The new modern Medical Facility for the south of the island is no more and the efforts are now being concentrated at St. Jude’s to ” not only allow for the original services to be reinstated, but also allow for the expansion and growth to meet the growing needs of Saint Lucia and our Caribbean family.”

The then Minister of Finance informs the public that an additional amount of $ 23.7 million dollars is required and the project will be completed by March 2012. What is emerging at this point in time? Any casual observer would see that there are clear signals that the project may end up with problems.

Now I want to divert to begin to introduce some definitions and principles of project management. St. Lucia is now flooded with project management professionals who have embraced the Project Management Institute. So I will use PMI definitions to introduce the terms. On the PMI website you will see the following:

What is Project Management? More specifically, what is a project? It’s a temporary group activity designed to produce a unique product, service or result.

A project is temporary in that it has a defined beginning and end in time, and therefore defined scope and resources.

And a project is unique in that it is not a routine operation, but a specific set of operations designed to accomplish a singular goal. So a project team often includes people who don’t usually work together – sometimes from different organizations and across multiple geographies.

A project has a beginning and an end, and thus a defined scope and resources. We all hope that St. Jude’s has an end, and those of us who live up North are also asking if the Bois D’Orange Bridge also has an end. . What was the defined scope of St. Jude’s Hospital in April 2010. What was the scope in April 2011, and what is the scope on September 13th 2014? What resources were required to complete the scope in April 2010, April 2011 and September 2013? Herein lies the major cause of the Second Disaster at St. Jude’s Hospital. There appears to be a changing scope and a resultant changing budget, if ever at all a Budget was developed for the project.

Let us get back to our timelines, in April 2011, the Minister of Finance has stated that the Government of St. Lucia has changed the scope of the St. Jude’s project and the cost for these changes has resulted in an increased budget. The end of the project ( remember the definition – a project must have a beginning and an end) is now placed at March 2012.

In April 2011, the Taiwanese contractor is mobilized in St. Lucia, the Government has insisted that the contractor uses a nominated contractor to do all the building work, and the contract with the Taiwanese firm is now reduced to a supply and installation of medical equipment.

There has been no mention in any of the Budget Presentations that a direct award has been given to begin work on the other buildings of the Hospital. The defined scope of work as so eloquently pronounced by the then Minister of Finance in two Budget Addresses relates only to the Burnt Wing. PART 3 will end at April 2011, please be reminded that we were then in an election year.

This month is the 5th Anniversary of that tragic fire at St. Jude’s and my condolences are forwarded to the families who lost their loved ones in the fire. I also applaud the hard working professional team at St. Jude’s Hospital for keeping the quality of health care available at the make-shift facility at the George Odlum Stadium for a period of 5 years, and outstanding feat indeed.

Every nation has a chain of destiny which pulls it from the present into the future. Every link in that chain is a policy and a bad policy becomes a broken link which stalls the progress of that nation.

Stay tuned for PART 4, where we have a change in Government and a new budget for completion.

We closed off PART 3 in April 2011, St. Lucia has just been presented with the last Budget Address before the next general elections. The then Minister of Finance has assured the people of St. Lucia that St. Jude’s will be completed towards the end of the financial year, and this long awaited project will thus be a completed promise, a further demonstration of adequacy that the UWP Administration should be returned to power.

There is some urgency to get the Burnt Wing started; tremendous pressure is brought on the project team to get the project completed by October 2011, so that a gala event can be staged as a prelude to the announcement of a date for the elections. This completion date however eludes the project team.

On the 28th November 2011, the General Elections are held and the UWP is swept out of government, in an 11- 6 defeat. The completion of St. Jude’s now becomes the responsible of the new SLP administration. The SLP in opposition had heavily criticized the then Government for the paucity of the management of the project and are now placed in a position to reverse this disaster. They are in the corridors of power; the baton has been passed on.

Dr. Kenny D. Anthony presents his first budget on Tuesday May 8th 2012, and has this to say concerning St. Jude’s:

” Mr. Speaker, the St. Jude’s Hospital reconstruction is another ongoing project that continues to be a priority for the Government of Saint Lucia. Government is committed to mobilizing the resources required to bring the reconstruction works to completion. Since the commencement of the renovation works, there have been a number changes in strategy and expansion in scope of the works. This was not only necessary to ensure that the works being undertaken were compatible with the critical needs of St. Jude’s Hospital, but also to facilitate improvements in clinical services. Mr. Speaker, I am anxious for the nightmare of the people of the South to end. I pray that as promised, all major works will be completed by August 31, 2012 to facilitate testing and commissioning prior to the relocation of St. Jude’s Hospital from the George Odlum Stadium. When completed, the reconstructed facility at Cantonement will remain the permanent home for St. Jude’s Hospital. Again, I thank the management and staff of St. Jude’s Hospital for their remarkable patience and understanding. They continue to offer a sterling service and dedication to the public, in exceedingly difficult circumstances. In this upcoming financial year, Government has approved a budgetary allocation of $15.9 million dollars, which is required to bring this project to completion.”

In Summary, Prime Minster Anthony has advised that the project will be completed on August 31st 2012. Former Prime Minister Stephenson King had presented October 2010 at one stage and then March 2011 in another Budget Address. In May 2012 we were told that an additional $ 15.9 million is required to complete the building, this is in addition to the $ 23.7 million that we were advised by Hon Stephenson King the year before in his Budget Address, as the requirement to completion. Prime Minster Kenny D. Anthony has described the project as a ‘nightmare’ with a promise that there is a dawn of a new day.

There is no scope management on the project, there is a runaway budget, and it is as if there is a blank check book made available for the completion of the St. Jude’s Hospital. Remember our definition of a project: A project is temporary in that it has a defined beginning and end in time, and therefore defined scope and resources. Even the very LATIN word – Projectum from which the English word project comes from, suggests something that is missing. Pro– meaning before and thus Projectum means ‘before an action’.  For every project there is something that must be done ‘before the action’.

The Disaster is unfolding. On August 31st 2012, the project is not completed and Dr. Anthony’s statement on the completion date which is based on information provided by his technical staff proves to be very wrong. The allocation for the Financial Year 2012 – 2013 is by now exhausted. It reminds me of the Calypso Classic by Chris ‘Tambu” Herbert – The Journey Now Start, as this is the third missed deadline ( October 2010, March 2011 and August 31st 2012) given by Prime Ministers. For those who don’t know the song, follow the words.

The journey now start, the journey it now start The journey now start, the journey it now start Sonny, do not give up, don’t let up For you were put here to survive You are in charge of your life Never look back, look ahead Never say die ’til you dead…children The journey now start, the journey it now start The journey now start, the journey it now start

STAY TUNED FOR PART 5 to see why the journey now starts.

We closed off Part 4, where we were in August 31st 2012, the date Prime Minster Kenny Anthony was advised by his Technical Staff that the St. Jude’s Hospital will be completed. Frustration is building within the Government as this project is now a drain on the economy in a very difficult time. The Government is now considering to pursue borrowing to finish the hospital. When will it end?

Construction activities have slowed down on the site and the project limps along. On Tuesday May 14th 2012, Prime Minister Kenny Anthony presents the Budget Address for the financial year 2013-2014, and has this to say about St. Jude’s:

”The St. Jude Hospital Reconstruction Project is progressing, but at a pace none of us could applaud. When this projected was first conceived, an amount of $33.8 million was allocated to it. It quickly became clear that the hospital could not be partially restored but that the entire property had to be demolished in parts and rebuilt. The former Government increased the allocation towards the construction of the hospital to $46.4 million dollars. This Government has now been advised that this estimate is far below the real cost of the hospital and additional resources will have to be identified to ensure its completion. Indeed, the cost of the hospital, including the purchase of equipment, is now estimated at $115 million dollars. As at the end of the 2012/13 Financial Year, the Government had spent some $47.4 million on rebuilding St Jude, leaving a shortfall of nearly $68 million. This could not have come at a worse possible time given the fiscal challenges facing the country. For all practical purposes, the St Jude Hospital will be a totally new hospital. Elements of construction that were critical to the functioning of the hospital will be prioritized to expedite implementation and speed up the reopening of the new St Jude Hospital.”

The above statement is a very frank admission that the project went in the wrong direction. There was no scope management; a runaway budget resulted, all in a time where fiscal prudence must be embraced.

In September 2013, the workers of the contractor went on strike because they were not being paid. Work has slowed down significantly on the project. It is clear that the project will not be completed in this financial year and there is a distinct possibility that St. Jude’s may be left as an unfinished building for some time while Gov’t sources the extra $ 68 million to complete the project.

No country can afford the repeat of this scenario, and this is the reason I have described it as THE SECOND DISASTER. I have written this not to offend anyone, but to place on record a situation that should not have happened. The Bible gives a clear warning on this in Luke 14: 28,

”For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?”

So when you are building a hospital, you must sit down and count the cost to see whether you have enough to complete it. In PART 6  I will present my views on the apportioning of blame. I have developed a mathematical model to generate the final percentages. The model is structured as follows:

50 % of the blame will be shared among all those who were involved in the project. This percentage will be apportioned based on the time the individual was involved in the project, so if you spent more time there is an allocation of a larger share. Technical staff is given greater responsibility than politicians as they have a responsibility to advise as well as to manage the process. So in summary, this is how it is done:

WEIGHT ALLOCATION

Technical Staff – 2 Ministers of Government – 1 Time per year – 1

The other 50% is shared according to the author’s view of the processes of Contract Administration. There is a mixture of subjective and objective analysis.

While politicians from both political parties have given the public the impression that a Minister has total responsibility for what goes on in a Ministry, that definitely is not the case.

Section 69 of the Constitution of St Lucia states the following, which is instructive:

69.- Where any Minister has been charged with responsibility for any department of

government, he shall exercise general direction and control over that department; and

subject to such direction and control, every department of government shall be under the

supervision of a public officer whose office is referred to in this Constitution as the office of

a permanent secretary: Provided that two or more government departments may be places

under the supervision of one permanent secretary. I will not blame any Government Minister for a bad design, or poor supervision by a Consultant or Ministry Official, or bad workmanship of a contractor.

So when the Bois D’Orange Bridge is late in completion, and sections collapse before the project is handed over, and beams arrive that are too short, how is it possible that Hon. Phillip J. Pierre could be blamed. Blame should be apportioned to the Contractor, the Consultant and the Ministry official assigned to the project.

We cannot develop the structures of governance if this hoodwinking and deception of focusing on Government Ministers for failure of others continue. It is on this basis that the allocation of blame will be placed for the second disaster at St. Jude’s Hospital.

STAY TUNED FOR THE CONCLUSION OF THE HEPTALOGY – St Jude’s – We Cry for You.

Over the last five posts, I have attempted to present the sequence of events that took place from the unfortunate day in September 2009 to September 2013, a period of 4 years. The situation at St. Jude’s could have been avoided by following the basic principles of project management. The project should have been defined in the beginning, a cost determined and followed by the execution. I believe that many people have to take responsibility, some more than others.

Over that four year period the following offices/ entities were involved in the project:

a. Hon. Stephenson King – Former Minister of Finance b. Hon. Kenny D. Anthony – Minister of Finance c. Hon. Alvina Reynolds – Minster of Health d. Mr. Keith Mondesir – Former Minister of Health e. Consultant – Halcrow/Danion f. Contractor – Cyril Dornelley Construction Ltd g. Project Manager h. St. Jude’s Board of Directors

The “Blame Apportioning” model is based on an apportioning of 50% of the blame to everyone involved in the project, with various weights being given for the time spent on the project, the level of involvement, and the stage of involvement. Those who initiated the project are given a higher weight that those involved in the completion. Technical entities are given a higher weight than politicians, as they have a responsibility to advise as well as manage the process. The following is how this phase of apportioning blame was developed.

The scores coming out of the first Phase of the Blame analysis are as follows:

PROJECT MANAGER – 10.53% HON. S. KING – 5.26% HON. K. ANTHONY – 2.63% HALCROW/DANION – 10.53% CYRIL DORNELLEY CONST. – 10.53% MR. K. MONDESIR – 2.63% HON. A REYNOLDS – 2.63% ST. JUDE’S BOARD – 5.26%

The second phase of the apportioning of blame is a subjective analysis based on the author’s view of the issues relating to the execution of the Project. The principal reason for this second disaster was the changing scope of the project. Those that were involved in that component, whether they were requesting the change, managing the change, or giving policy directives on these changes are selected for apportioning of blame. In this regard there are four entities that come to the fore:

a. Former Minister of Finance Stephenson King b. Project Manager c. Consultant d. St. Jude’s Board

Given the constitutional responsibility of the Minster of Finance, I have placed a larger share of the blame on that office. On the scope management of the project in the first two years I have allocated 40% of the blame for the disaster. My apportionment of blame for this component is as follows:

Former Minister of Finance – Stephenson King – 20% Project Manager – 10% Consultant – 5% St. Jude’s Board – 5%

The last 10% of Blame is related to those who were responsible for the project over the last two years, and the construction related issues ( design and construction activities). The following are placed as my allocation.

Consultant – 8% Contractor – 2%

Now the final tally of scores;

Hon. Stephenson King – 25.26% Hon. Kenny Anthony – 2.63% Hon. Alvina Reynolds – 2.63% Project Manager – 20.26% Consultant – 23.53% Contractor – 12.53% Mr. K Mondesir – 2.63% St. Jude’s Board – 10.26%

As a nation, we have to learn from these experiences, St. Lucia cannot afford to make these missteps at this stage of our development. We must embrace change in this race to erase poverty within our society. The following questions however need to be answered.

Why was a decision taken to totally rebuild St. Jude’s Hospital when there was no knowledge of where the funding was coming for the project?

Who was responsible for the determination of the cost of the project when conceived?

Why were there so many situations where components of the structure were built and then demolished because of a change in design?

Why is there to date no proper design for the facility?

Why should pipes be installed and now there is consideration that the pipes be all replaced because the wrong pipe was specified?

Who has to take responsibility for the significant costs incurred through redesign activity?

St Jude’s Hospital is a model case of how not to construct a medical facility. It is a disaster that must never reoccur in our country. I applaud Prime Minister Kenny D. Anthony for soliciting a  loan from the Taiwanese to finish the hospital. My only concern is that this loan facility be guarded and the changes required to ensure the mistakes of the past are not repeated are instituted.

I leave you with this amazing and yet difficult to understand situation. We have built a New National Hospital, yet the designers and project managers never considered the door sizes to allow the medical equipment to enter the hospital. As amazing as it sounds, I am advised that  the only way for the many pieces of medical equipment to enter the new hospital, is to break down the walls. Maybe, just maybe, someone is a fan of Star Trek and will contact Dr. Spock, Scottie or Captain Kirk to beam the medical equipment into the hospital.

Thanks again for reading this series and my hope is that St. Jude’s Hospital will be completed before the end of next year.