Practical Completion of Construction of Port-of-Spain General Hospital Central Block
UPDATE (07/09/25): Six (6) months after the $1.3 billion Central Block of the Port-of-Spain General Hospital (POSGH) was unveiled to the public, Minister of Works and Infrastructure, Jearlean John, says she cannot say when the facility will finally open to the public. She confirmed that it is still under construction, as of September 2025.
Minister John, a former Chairman of the Urban Development Corporation of T&T (Udecott) from 2010 to 2015, is now the Line Minister responsible for the State agency overseeing the project.
When asked on Monday (1st September, 2025) when patients could be admitted, she replied: “We can't. We haven't finished the Hospital.” John said Udecott has not provided her with even a tentative date for the facility's opening.
Days after then-Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley unveiled a commemorative plaque marking the "practical completion" of the Hospital, Udecott had issued a Media Release promising the first patients would be admitted by July 2025.
"No, that is rubbish. That was a political statement," John said, dismissing the timeline. She insisted it would have been “impossible” to admit patients in July because construction was still ongoing. However, the plaque ceremony had suggested the Hospital was finished. A video circulating afterward showed unfinished interiors and exposed walls, contradicting the former PNM Government's assertion otherwise, and raising public concern over the facility's readiness.
Minister John stressed that before patients can be admitted, every piece of medical equipment must be tested. “It's only when you get your certification...then you can say, okay, the Hospital is ready.” Only after this process, she said, can the facility be commissioned.
Prime Minister Keith Rowley attended the official Commemoration Ceremony for the Practical Completion of the construction of the Port-of-Spain General Hospital (POSGH) Central Block on Monday (10th March, 2025). The new $1.3 billion Central Block is not yet open or operational.
In a Media Release following the ceremony, the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) said the 540-bed facility, located South of the Hospital, replaces the old Central Block built in 1962. “The aged infrastructure of the old block, combined with the damage it sustained during the 6.1 magnitude earthquake in 2018, made it necessary for the Government to replace the building.”
Delivering the feature address, Prime Minister Rowley reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to strengthening the country’s health sector. He highlighted the progress achieved over the past seven (7) years, including the delivery of the Arima General Hospital, the new Point Fortin Hospital, the Roxborough Hospital, the Diego Martin Health Centre and the Sangre Grande Hospital Campus, as well as the completion and opening of the Couva Hospital and Multi-Training Facility.
The Prime Minister noted that the state-of-the-art Central Block, “will contain some of the leading aspects of healthcare delivery in the Caribbean, if not the world.”
Minister of Energy and Energy Industries and Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister and Member of Parliament for Port-of-Spain North/St. Ann’s West, the Hon. Stuart Young SC commended Prime Minister Rowley for his leadership in prioritizing healthcare in Trinidad and Tobago. Minister Young also urged the management of the new facility to uphold high maintenance standards.
The new Central Block of the Port-of-Spain General Hospital (POSGH) will offer the following:
- Radiology, Diagnostic, Laboratory, Surgical and Pharmacy services.
- Medical and Surgical Wards – Adult and Paediatric.
- Catheterization Laboratory and ICU Services.
- Psychiatric Services.
Minister of Health, the Hon. Terrence Deyalsingh and representatives of the North-West Regional Health Authority (NWRHA) were also present at Monday’s ceremony.
Several Government Ministers and His Worship the Mayor of Port-of-Spain, Alderman Chinua Alleyne also attended Monday’s event.
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