Health Update: Fond Assau Wellness Centre reopens after SMART Rehabilitation Works – What Experts Say

The Ministry of Health, Wellness and Nutrition celebrated the reopening of the Fond Assau Wellness Centre which was SMART rehabilitated under the OECS Regional Health Project, making it a more upgraded and comfortable space for residents accessing health services.

Minister for Health, Moses Jn Baptiste along with the Parliamentary Representative for Babonneau, John Paul Estephane, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Jenny Daniel and other senior health officers embarked on a walk-through of the newly rehabilitated Fond Assau Wellness Centre highlighting the addition of features to make the facility more resilient to manage during a public health emergency or disaster.

Permanent Secretary, Jenny Daniel underscored the importance of visiting the rehabilitated health facility to get a first-hand look at the areas improved and to recognize the value of this for the delivery of health services to residents. “This site visit was really to commemorate the opening, to have a tour the facility, to see the changes that have been made over the past few months and of course to familiarize both of our ministers as well as our broader technical team with the working of the facility to show areas in which we have improved efficiency, whether it be in terms of energy efficiency, the use of water, etc. We look forward to improving our services, increasing efficiency and of course we maintain the centre in a very smart way,” Daniel explained.

Minister for Health, Wellness and Nutrition, Moses Jn Baptiste expressed gratitude to the contractor and representatives of the Ministry of Health and the OECS Regional Health Project who played a pivotal role in ensuring the successful completion of the wellness centre. “I am very pleased with the level of commitment here by contractor and also the quality of work. I am very happy to see some new equipment, new rooms for the medical professionals to see clients and their patients. I am very happy with the new SMARTing facilities that are here: the generators, tanks and so many other inputs into this facility to make it a SMART facility.”

Parliamentary Representative for Babonneau, John Paul Estephane praised the transformation of the Fond Assau Wellness Centre and voiced appreciation for the improved space, which is designed to enhance patient care and access of health services at the facility. “I believe it is a good thing to rehabilitate the facilities. Some of the facilities because of age, there is a lot of wear and tear and old. There is need for us to modernize the facility. Healthcare is a big thing in Saint Lucia and especially for the Government of Saint Lucia so we need a facility that can give our people the best in terms of healthcare. When I look at what has been done at Fond Assau, I am hoping that the same will be done at Babonneau and at La Guerre,” Estephane said.

The Fond Assau Wellness Centre is open to serve residents of the community from Monday to Friday 8am to 4:30pm.