FREEPORT, Grand Bahama - The government will spend $1.9 million in the next two to three weeks to purchase the Island Palms Resort to accommodate the expansion of the Rand Memorial Hospital, Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham said Saturday night.
Ingraham was speaking during the opening of the Free National Movement's (FNM) Marco City constituency office.
At the unveiling of the construction upgrades at Rand Memorial Hospital in January, Ingraham said that when the time was right the government would purchase the Island Palm Resort, demolish the structure and expand into the property.
Minister of Health Dr. Hubert Minnis added yesterday that before anything is done with the new space, a utilization survey would have to be completed.
The survey would allow the government to properly ascertain what the hospital needs presently and futuristically, Minnis told The Nassau Guardian via telephone.
Such needs range from how many beds to have and what types of beds, to the needs of kitchens and bathrooms.
"You don't want to put up a ward of 40 beds and you only utilize two," Minnis said.
He said the hospital will be able to service the population of Grand Bahama for many years to come.
At Saturday night's event, Ingraham focused on what the FNM would do for Grand Bahama if re-elected.
"Papa knows that you have been catching hell for almost 10 years now. The PLP left you catching hell. They didn't meet you catching hell," he said.
Ingraham also told the crowd that the government would "bring focused attention to the expiring provisions of the Hawksbill Creek Agreement to ensure that all of Grand Bahama benefits from the exercise".
"We are not going to negotiate with the Port Authority in public.  We will negotiate with them after the next election," he said.
Norris Bain, the FNM's candidate for Marco City, received the torch from current MP for Marco City and candidate for Fort Charlotte, Zhivargo Laing, Saturday night.
He will be facing the Progressive Liberal Party's (PLP) Gregory Moss and the Democratic National Alliance's (DNA) Tolonus Sands.

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