Construction work on La Digue's new, modern and bigger health centre, which will offer a variety of medical services, will begin sometime this year at a cost of R15.8 million.

The health centre will be built at L'Union Estate and will replace the existing Logan Hospital at La Passe.

Mr Joe Hoareau, the director of Technical Services in the Ministry of Health, said that the one-storey building, which will have an architectural design similar to that of the Maison Queau de Quinssy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' headquarters, would provide additional and upgraded health services and help bring a better health system to the island's population.

The health centre will operate on a 24-hour basis and among the services to be provided are ante-natal, post-natal and maternity, physioteraphy, dental, emergency and mortuary. In addition, a hospital with three main wards, including male and female medical wards and a labour ward, will be incorporated within the health centre. The hospital will cater for 26 beds.

The health centre, to be built partly in wood and concrete, will also have bigger ventilated rooms, more sophisticated laundry and kitchen facilities and accommodation for doctors. Mr Hoareau said there could be an increase in the number of doctors to be posted at the new health centre.

He said that on account of space constraints it would not have been possible to extend the existing facility at La Passe, nor would it have been cost effective for the ministry to renovate the old building.

LINKS