Chinese Government provides $8 million grant for Two Community Clinics Project

In 2018, the Chinese Government provided an $8 million grant to the Government of Antigua & Barbuda for the Two Community Centers Project.

The purpose of the project is to construct two community clinics (or ‘community polyclinics’ or ‘community centers’): a community clinic in St. John’s Blackburn Park (in the Villa area) and a community clinic in St. Phillip Glanvilles in the Wilikies area).

The ultimate goal of these clinics is to increase access to healthcare in the surrounding communities and ease pressures on the main hospital in St. John's (Mount St John’s Medical Centre). The height from the ground to the cornice of the community clinic in St. John’s Blackburn Park is 4.8m, and the construction area is 899.8㎡.

The building consists of a lobby, public health nurse consultation station, regional midwife consultation station, psychiatry consultation services, gas cylinder room, dental clinic and supporting disinfection room, toilets, laundry room, storage room, physical therapy consultation services, rehabilitation area and its matching dressing room with toilets, ophthalmology clinic, offices for environmental officials, nutrition officials, and family nursing doctors.

In addition, a pharmacy, medicine collection, triage, vaccination room and supporting changing room, power distribution room, public toilets, laboratory, kitchen, staff room and supporting toilet, meeting room, portable X-ray room, ultrasound examination room and electrocardiogram room, duty room, medical waste room, emergency medical vehicle parking area, emergency medical technician area and supporting toilet, observation ward and supporting toilet, general practice room and supporting toilet.

The height of the community service center from the ground to the cornice is 5.4m, and the construction area is 699.92㎡ (excluding groundwater pool and pump room). The community service center in St.

John’s Blackburn Park includes an entrance hall, auditorium (70 people) and supporting makeup room, audio-visual room, meeting room, power distribution room, equipment control room, athletes’ locker room (2), pump room (underground), storage and management room of sports equipment and ground equipment, auditorium equipment room, western-style kitchen, reading room, telecommunications room, computer room, public toilet and sanitary ware storage room.

The height from the ground to the cornice of the community clinic in St. Phillip Glanville is 4.8m, and the building area is 727.03㎡.

The building consists of a lobby, general practice room and supporting toilet, psychiatric consultation, ophthalmology room, electrocardiogram room, ultrasound examination room, portable X-ray room, office of nutrition consultation officials and environmental health officials, gas cylinder room, dental clinic and supporting disinfection room and toilet, emergency medical car parking area, emergency medical technician area and supporting toilet, observation ward and supporting toilet, vaccination room and supporting changing room, offices of family nursing.

In addition to doctors, local midwives and public health nurses, public toilets, pharmacy, medicine collection, Laboratory, meeting room, staff room and supporting toilet, kitchen, laundry room, physical therapy room, rehabilitation area and supporting dressing room and toilet, duty room, power distribution room and a medical waste room.

The height from the ground to the cornice of the community service center is 5.4m, and the construction area is 693.37㎡ (among which the underground pump house is 87.06㎡).

Which includes; entrance hall, auditorium (70 people) and supporting makeup room, audio-visual room, conference room, power distribution room, equipment control room, pump room (underground), sports equipment and ground equipment storage room, management office, auditorium equipment room, western-style kitchen , reading room, telecommunications room, computer room, public toilet and sanitary ware storage room.

PowerChina International Group Limited is the contractor responsible for project implementation. Construction of the clinics began on September 15, 2018. However, a formal groundbreaking ceremony took place on November 30, 2018. The construction of the community clinic in St. John’s Blackburn Park was completed on August 10, 2020.

Then, on October 12, 2020, China’s Ministry of Commerce issued a project quality completion acceptance certificate (rating the project as ‘excellent’). A formal project completion and handover ceremony took place on December 1, 2020. The opening ceremony for the Glanvilles Community Clinic was held on January 21, 2022.