Chinese Government provides $40 million grant for Dominica-China Friendship Hospital Construction Project (Linked to Record ID#39828 and #39822)

The construction of a new hospital — to be built on same site as the Princess Margaret Hospital in Goodwill — was the last of four projects that the Chinese Government pledged to fund in a 2004 memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Government of Dominica (see Record ID#39822).

The USD $40 million (or about XCD 117 million) project was fully financed with grant funding from the Chinese Government.

These grant funds were drawn from a series of Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement (ETCAs) that the Government of Dominica and the Chinese Government signed.

On December 14, 2012, the Government of Dominica and the Government of the People’s Republic of China signed an ETCA, which committed RMB 70 million (around $10 million) of grant funding for the Princess Margaret Hospital Expansion and Renovation Project (as captured via Record ID#61107 and ID#39822).

On July 12, 2013, the Government of Dominica and the Government of the People’s Republic of China signed another ETCA, which committed an additional RMB 50 million of grant funding for the for the Princess Margaret Hospital Expansion and Renovation Project. The remaining grant funds were drawn from other (unspecified) ETCAs that the two parties signed.

The purpose of the project was to renovate and expand the existing Princess Margaret Hospital, which located in the northern Goodwill part of the capital, Roseau, to the northeast of Lindo Park (exact locational coordinates: 15.306667, -61.379444).

The expanded and renovated hospital has a total construction area of ​​26,300 square meters, and it is divided into an emergency building, medical technology building, administrative teaching building, and expert dormitory building. Hunan Construction Engineering Group Corporation was the contractor responsible for project implementation.

It signed a project implementation contract with the Ministry of Health of Dominica in December 2015.

According to Chief Economic and Commercial Officer at the Chinese Embassy, Wang Quanhuo, due to the complexity of the project, it had to be divided into seven construction phases.

The details of each phase are described below: Phase I: Construction on the first phase was originally expected to start in mid-2013 and end 2015. However, the groundbreaking ceremony took place at the Lindo Park in Goodwill on August 8, 2016. Construction was interrupted by the category five hurricane Maria that devastated Dominica in September 2017.

But Maria's destructive force had some benefits.

The hurricane prompted the authorities to make important improvements to the structure of the new hospital, making it more resistant to earthquakes and hurricanes.

The first phase of the hospital was handed over on September 6, 2019 and the New National Hospital was renamed the Dominica China Friendship Hospital.

The first phase consisted of a two story Emergency Building that houses an Accident & Emergency Department and administrative offices.

A second building was also constructed as part of this phase, a three-story Medical Technology Building which houses the Diagnostics and Radiology departments, Medical Laboratory Unit, and Dialysis Unit. Equipment highlighted by the Chinese Ambassador included an MRI scanner, X-ray machine, and HIFU.

The total value of the medical equipment was reportedly more than EC$10 million.

As of October 2021, DCFH is the only hospital in the OECS territory that owns and operates an MRI in its public health service.

In order to further guarantee the security of all doctors, nurses and patients in case of future hurricanes, the Chinese Government also agreed to add cement roofs and anti-hurricane doors and windows for the Hospital. Phase II: The second phase consisted primarily of a new Eye Care Centre and was handed over in December 2020.

The second and third phases were being constructed simultaneously.

The Eye Care Centre consisted of an ophthalmology theatre on the ground floor and staff accommodation on the upper two floors.

Phase III: On July 12, 2013, representatives of the Government of Dominica and the Chinese Government signed letters of exchange regarding the construction of the project's third phase.

This phase consisted of the construction of a two story, second Medical Technology building (the third building overall) and the outpatient building.

Within the Medical Technology building is a new Intensive Care Unit with an an eight-bed capacity, a Blood Bank Unit, and a new four room operating theatre equipped for Telemedicine. Phase III passed a mid-term MOFCOM project inspection in July 2020. It also passed the final project inspection, conducted by CCECC from December 24 to 31, 2020.

A project handover certificate was signed on January 11, 2021. Phase IV: Phase IV involved the construction of an administrative teaching building and an amphitheatre/lecture hall. It passed a mid-term MOFCOM project inspection in July 2020. It was originally expected to reach completion by October 2020.

Phase V and VI: Phase V and VI involved the construction of the inpatient buildings. These phases were originally expected to commence in October 2020 and reach completion within 12 months (October 2021). These phases begun as of January 12, 2021. Phase VI had achieved a 80% completion rate as of March 2021.

Phase VII: Phase VII includes the renovation of the Francisca Dorival complex. As of April 14, 2021, roofing works and painting, and other minor construction works are ongoing. As of January 2021, the project as a whole was expected to reach completion by the end of 2021 or early in 2022.

While an exact completion date remains unclear, Dominican Prime Minister Skerritt sent a letter of thanks to the Chinese construction team during August of 2022.

In November of 2022, at the 44th anniversary of Dominica's independence, Cai Dianwei, chairman of Hunan Construction Investment Group, Liu Yiqi, project commander, and Jiang Wei, leader of the project construction technology group, received medals for their work on the hospital construction.

The medals honor individuals and enterprises who make outstanding contributions to Dominica, and it is the first time this medal has been awarded to a Chinese citizen.