Bahamas News
PHA CELEBRATES 25 YEARS OF HEALTHCARE PROGRESS
#TheBahamas, July 2, 2024 – The establishment of the Public Hospitals Authority in 1999, following an act of Parliament one year earlier, represented a revolutionary milestone in the delivery of healthcare for The Bahamas. Today, the Public Hospitals Authority (PHA) looks noticeably different than the Authority of 1999, when we were first established. Our hospital facilities are more modern; with 21st century medical technology accessible to every patient across our network of hospitals and agencies, and a cadre of clinical and allied health staff who are better trained and equipped.
We credit our exponential growth to a management philosophy that balances productivity, efficiency and accountability with prudent growth strategies that have allowed us to remain at the forefront of healthcare not only in The Bahamas, but in the region. As the Public Hospitals Authority in The Bahamas marks its 25th anniversary, it’s a time to reflect on the remarkable journey of progress and development in the healthcare sector over the past quarter-century. Established with a mission to enhance healthcare services and improve public health outcomes, the Authority has overcome numerous challenges and achieved significant milestones in its pursuit of excellence.
Challenges and Milestones
Ground Breaking Ceremony Freeport Health Campus May 2023
In its inaugural year, the Public Hospitals Authority faced a myriad of challenges, including the development and strengthening of clinical services aligned with national health programs, resolving administrative dilemmas, establishing itself as a corporate entity, and enhancing its operational procedures and policies. Identifying key areas of concern such as the shortage of qualified personnel, inadequacies in infrastructure, technology, and equipment, the Authority embarked on a journey of transformation and innovation.
Over the years the PHA has weather significant challenges including the global economic downturn and its impacts beginning in 2008, the historic destruction of hurricane Dorian and most recently the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic, one of the most complex health challenges the world has ever faced. These historic challenges were experienced by our public hospital institutions against a backdrop of longstanding constraints in resources, manpower and mitigating against aging health infrastructure and shortages in equipment.
We have emerged from these crises stronger and more responsive with lessons learned.
Strategic Initiatives
Over the years, strategic initiatives have been implemented to address these challenges and drive progress in healthcare delivery. These initiatives include enhancing planning mechanisms, strengthening information systems, improving management functions, financial systems, allied health skills, patient experience and quality improvement programs and strengthening security measures to ensure a safe and secure environment for patients and staff.
Advancements in Patient Care
Significant advancements have been made in patient care, across all our public hospitals. 25 years of PHA management has seen advances in Health Information Systems to support hospital services and patient care, new outpatient ophthalmology, family medicine, rehabilitation therapy, and Blood Bank services for PMH, extensive upgrades to the Pharmacies, Morgues, Operating Theatres and Emergency Departments at Princess Margaret Hospital and the Rand Memorial Hospital, including the most recent capital project to modernize and expand PMH emergency rooms for paediatric and adult patients and the trauma bay.
Major advances have been made in the expansion of Intensive Care services at PMH and the Rand including the PMH Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and its step-down Unit, the Special Care Baby Unit providing specialized care for newborns.
The millennium saw the introduction of neurodevelopment services, complemented by services within the NICU which has helped reduce risk factors for neurodevelopmental delays in low-birthweight infants.
The PHA prioritised the introduction of a Patient Relations program in 1997 at the Princess Margaret Hospital. This program has been expanded with a cohort of newly engaged Patient Relations Officers graduating from a specially developed training program in 2022.
In recognition of the longstanding dearth of healthcare professionals within our system, further exacerbated by the pandemic, the Authority maintains a mutually beneficial recruitment arrangement with global health partners, most notably, the Republic of Cuba.
Enhancing Emergency Medical Services
Improvements in emergency medical services have been a priority, with the development of criteria for the registration and licensing of Emergency Medical Technicians. The National Emergency Medical Services has focused on training personnel in advanced cardiac life support and prehospital care to meet international standards.
With the establishment of the PHA Academy in 2022, the training of EMTs to be deployed in New Providence and across the Family Islands has been accelerated. The PHA continues to work with the Ministry of Health & Wellness to ensure the recruitment, training and equipping of EMTs and paramedics to meet the needs of all Bahamians.
Trib photo Ribbon Cutting of Critical Care Block 2014
Pharmaceutical and Medical/Surgical Supplies
Under the management of the PHA, the Bahamas National Drug Agency made strides in automating pharmacy management systems and updating the drug formulary to include essential medications. The Material Management Directorate also implemented modern information systems to manage the procurement and inventory of essential hospital and clinic supplies for the PHA and Department of Public Health.
In 2016 the PHA consolidated the Bahamas National Drug Agency and the Material Management Directorate into the PHA’s Supplies Management Agency with responsibility for supply chain management of pharmaceuticals and medical/surgical supplies. The agency occupied a fully renovated building at 51 Shirley Street with modern office spaces and warehouse facilities. In 2022, the PHA facilitated the procurement of a larger facility on Nassau Street which serves as the new home of the Supplies Management Agency positioning this essential agency to meet the needs of our public health system for decades to come.
Expanding Mental Health Services
Mental health care has also been a focal point, with the establishment of the Community Counselling and Assessment Centre and increased support for the Crisis Centre, offering a range of services from counselling to advocacy.
In 2013 the PHA took the lead in The Bahamas’ implementation of the innovative global initiative in mental health with the World Health Organisation’s mhGAP (Mental Health Gap Action Program). Eighty-three (83) primary care doctors, nurses, and mental health professionals from the Ministry of Health, the Department of Public Health and Public Hospitals Authority adapted the mhGAP guidelines to The Bahamas health system. Primary care physicians and nurses were then trained to use the adapted guidelines, facilitating increased access to mental health services for patients accessing primary care in community clinics.
The Community Counselling and Assessment Centre was eventually relocated from its Market Street location to a fully refurbished building on Collins Ave improving conditions for both patients and staff.
Infrastructure Development
Infrastructure enhancements at our facilities have been monumental, with a comprehensive infrastructural redevelopment study leading to the Master Site Development Plan(s) for our public hospitals.
Major renovations to critical areas like the Intensive Care Unit, Operating Theatres, Surgical Recovery Room, Morgues and Burns Unit have improved patient care and facility operations significantly at the Princess Margaret Hospital and Rand Memorial Hospital.
Highlights of major capital projects completed include the construction of the Child & Adolescent, Robert Smith Special Education Complex at Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre, which has expanded the institution’s footprint and allowed for the improvement and repurposing of decanted spaces. The refurbishment of Wards at the Geriatric Hospital and Sandilands Hospital as well as at outbuildings utilized as clinical and therapeutic spaces have improved the conditions for clients and staff.
The construction of the Critical Care Block at Princess Margaret Hospital represented at that time the Government’s largest investment in health infrastructure in over half a century. The initiative was born out of the realization that societal conditions and changing demographics required the PHA to respond to the growing need for additional surgical theatres and critical care beds. This state-ofthe-art facility boasts:
- 6 Operating Rooms
- 1 Endoscopy Procedure Room
-18 Pre Op/PACU Beds
-20 Intensive Care Unit Beds
-62 Bed Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (level IIl)
- Central Sterile Supplies Department
- Medical Surgical Supplies Department
- Core Laboratory
- Meditation Area and Healing Garden
In Grand Bahama, extensive restoration works were undertaken at the Rand Memorial Hospital following Hurricane Dorian which devastated health infrastructure on the island. Working with local and international partners community clinics and the Rand Memorial Hospital underwent extensive capital projects culminating in the recommissioning of the hospital on 23rd April 2021 with the following new spaces:
- Complete renovation of the Front Entry Space, Pharmacy Operations, and the Lula Knowles Pediatrics Ward
- Construction of a New Corridor to access the Medical/Surgical Ward and Healing Garden Space, along with the restoration of other main arteries of the hospital
Ribbon Cutting at SRC Child & Adolescent Robert Smith Complex
- Restoration of the existing Operating Theatres
- Construction of a new 40’ Container size modular Operating Theatre Pre-Op & Procedure Room incorporated into the footprint of The Rand hospital to meet the current service needs, while awaiting the construction of a new replacement facility
- Restoration of Inpatient ICU, Medical and Surgical Bed Spaces in the Medical/Surgical and Critical Care blocks
- Construction of new, fully commissioned, 2,800 sq. ft. Infectious Disease Unit with seven (7) isolation spaces in response to the existing COVID-19 Pandemic
- Completion of an upgraded Commercial Kitchen/Cafeteria Facility with a dining area
- Demolition of the Administration and Obstetrics & Maternity Wings
Freeport Health Campus
More recently, the Ministry of Health & Wellness in collaboration with the Public Hospitals Authority held a Groundbreaking Ceremony on 16th May, 2023 for the new Freeport Health Campus in Grand Bahama. The $210 million Health Campus that will be constructed in three phases at the site off East Sunrise Highway near the Lucayan roundabout. The first phase is planned as a dedicated primary, outpatient, and urgent care centre.
The second phase will be an in-patient surgery and acute care facility providing quality care for patients with severe or urgent conditions or injuries, or patients recovering from surgery, and the final phase of the project will be the construction of medical/surgical clinical and support areas.
Future Directions
Looking ahead, the Public Hospitals Authority remains committed to advancing healthcare services in The Bahamas. With plans for new public hospital facilities in New Providence, ongoing infrastructural upgrades at existing facilities, and a continued focus on quality improvement and patient-centred care, the Authority is poised to build on its successes and further elevate the standard of healthcare delivery in the nation. Corporate and individual citizens wishing to partner with us on this journey to improve healthcare with The Bahamas are invited to connect with our newly established PHA Foundation to learn more or get involved.
As the Public Hospitals Authority celebrates its 25th anniversary, it stands as a beacon of progress and innovation in the healthcare landscape of The Bahamas, embodying a legacy of excellence and dedication to serving the public health needs of the community.
NASSAU, The Bahamas – The Bahamas’ Minister of Energy, Utilities and Aviation, The Honourable JoBeth Coleby-Davis, delivered an
electrifying address during the opening ceremony of the 2026 CARILEC Resilient/Renewable Energy Community (CAREC) Conference and Exhibition, being held October 18–22, 2026, at the British Colonial Hotel in Nassau, The Bahamas.
Under the theme “Empowering Progress: Strategic Policy and Planning for the Energy Transition,” the event draws more than 200 industry leaders, policymakers, regulators, and energy professionals committed to advancing practical strategies for sustainable and reliable Caribbean power systems through renewable energy and emerging technologies.
During her address, titled “The New Energy Era: Transforming Policy into Progress,” Minister Coleby-Davis reminded attendees that The Bahamas’ national motto, “Forward, Upward, Onward, Together,” aptly describes what the region’s energy transition demands.
“Empowering Progress speaks directly to our national motto. Not waiting for progress, but creating the conditions that allow progress to
happen. Meaningful progress, however, does not occur by accident. It requires vision, sound policy, strategic planning, strong institutions, and the determination to turn decisions into results,” said Minister Coleby-Davis.
Participants acknowledged that small island developing states share similar pressures, compounded by geographical challenges, small electricity markets, ageing infrastructure, geopolitical influences, and the growing threat of severe weather.
Tasked with ushering in a new energy era across the islands while addressing the challenges posed by The Bahamas’ unique archipelagic composition, Minister Coleby-Davis said, “Every island needs a different answer, but the same logic. As an archipelagic nation, we must provide electricity across many islands, each with its own demand and infrastructure needs. Our strategy, therefore, must be national in direction, but responsive to individual communities.”
Restating her Ministry’s three core messages—that energy is an economic and security priority, technology must be viewed as a tool to
support strong institutional leadership, and natural gas should be considered a bridge, not a destination—Minister Coleby-Davis reiterated that “progress must now be reflected in functioning infrastructure, effective institutions, and better electricity services: from policy commitments to coordinated implementation, and from fragmented investment decisions to long-term planning.”
Organised by CARILEC and co-hosted by Bahamas Power and Light (BPL) and Grand Bahama Power Company (GBPC), the annual Conference and Exhibition brings together the Caribbean energy community to advance practical solutions to the region’s most pressing energy challenges and accelerate progress towards more resilient, reliable, and sustainable power systems.
Bahamas News
Rosewood Exuma: A precedent-setting case for environmental law and future development in The Bahamas
By Eric Carey, ONE Consultants, former Executive Director of the Bahamas National Trust.
We are facing an extraordinarily important moment in judicial history in The Bahamas as we await a decision on the trial of allegations in
the Yntegra group’s Rosewood Exuma project.
As former Minister of the Environment, Romauld Ferreira, put it in the Supreme Court last week: “A lot is at stake…a great deal of what will be considered in this case sets the stage for what’s to come for future development in the country.”
In the trial of the judicial review of government approvals given to Yntegra for their Rosewood Exuma resort this week, we’ve heard technical arguments about failure to make key environmental documents like Yntegra’s Environmental Impact Assessment and Environmental Management Plan available to the public, failure of key documents to assess some of the most controversial aspects of the project, an unlawful consultation process, and a failure to conduct further consultation following major changes to the development.
Lawyers for Turtlegrass described how there was a “salami slicing” of the project into chunks as a way to circumvent the approvals process and disguise its full impact from public scrutiny. Only certain portions came before the public and key stakeholders like Turtlegrass and Over Yonder Cay for scrutiny, while some of the most controversial aspects did not. This is particularly problematic given what is at stake – the dredging of a beautiful Exuma bay, the North Bay, to transform it into an industrial shipping channel, complete with an enormous seawall, dock, back-of-house facilities and other industrial infrastructure.
It is unfortunate that it has had to come to this – an expensive judicial review process that calls out the government for falling down on its duties to protect the environment and follow the law – but it is important and the broader implications should not be overlooked. When Justice Leif Farquharson rules on this case, he’ll set a precedent that could echo in The Bahamas for years to come, one that answers the question: are the 2019 environmental laws that Ferreira took to parliament after many years of advocacy by environmentalists toothless tigers that are just for decoration – or are they capable of protecting the environment that we all depend on and the rights of those affected by projects to have a genuine say in them?
What is curious is that at the same time as these points are being raised in court as part of the judicial review, we are seeing personal attacks about Bob Coughlin – the person spearheading this legal action and test of environmental laws – by online trolls. Coughlin, an Exuma resident for almost a decade, has long been established as an environmental advocate and a passionate philanthropist – one who has donated almost $4 million to causes in The Bahamas since 2018, including millions to the organisation I once led, the Bahamas National Trust.
For reasons one can only speculate about, these trolls have been trying to make out all sorts of absurd things: that his legal action in support
of environmental protection is a petty dispute born out of fears of competition. That Coughlin no longer even wants to pursue his eco-tourism project, when the reality is that he was forced to put it on hold because of the destructive environmental plans that are in dispute. That he is the only one who has an issue with this Rosewood Exuma resort, when in fact, neighbouring resort, Over Yonder Cay – one of the top rated resorts in the Caribbean – as well as the Save Exuma Alliance – consisting of most of the local islands and businesses in the Exuma area, and thousands of petition signers have expressed their concern with the project – over 9,000 to date. Most ironically, they claim, wrongly, that Coughlin received crown land for personal use, when in fact it is Yntegra who received crown land while having no development track record, when Coughlin instead bought his lease on Sampson Cay from a private owner.
The timing of these claims, in the week of the trial, suggest a patronising and cynical attempt to distract from the gravity of the case being heard, what it represents, and how important this decision is. With their simplistic, jingoistic and factually-dubious references to crown land, white foreigners, and the like – it’s not hard to imagine that those involved are engaged in a ploy to push the buttons of Bahamians who they apparently believe can be too easily distracted into ignoring the real issue here: that the government, has – in the words of those in the Supreme Court this week – “run roughshod” over environmental laws with its approvals for Yntegra’s Rosewood Exuma project and that this is truly a landmark case and the decision will have a long-lasting impact on future development. This is at a time when foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows into the Bahamian economy are forecast to increase by as much as two thirds over the next two years, according to the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
So I call on my fellow Bahamians to stay focused. This is not a story about one man – it is a story about the future we want for our country and whether we are willing to sacrifice our ability to demand environmental accountability in all developments moving forward. There is too much at stake to be thrown off the track by trolls.
As Ferreira says of the judicial review that now awaits Justice Leif Farquharson’s judgement: “This is the first set of litigation, serious litigation, that takes a deep dive into the Environmental Planning and Protection Act and the environmental impact assessment regulations…There’s a lot at stake here.”
NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Wines & Spirits (CWS), The Bahamas’ leading wine and spirits distributor, proudly supported Paradise
Plates, Hands for Hunger annual fundraiser with a flavorful offering of its newest product, Monument Beverage Co.
Monument, which launched this July and is available across six major islands, made its Paradise Plates debut. Guests enjoyed three bold flavors: Peach Passion, Ginger-Lime and Melon Fizz as they socialized throughout the evening.
Monument brand ambassadors engaged guests with knowledge on the ready-to-drink beverage’s unique taste and look. Many attendees were delighted to learn that Monument is 100% Bahamian-made and owned and enjoyed seeing the various national landmarks on the packaging.
The booth was adorned with vibrant brand colors, striped arches, tropical florals and a photo worthy backdrop featuring Monument cans filled with florals cascading down the wall.
At the end of the event, the entire Monument inventory had finished, making Monument’s Paradise Plates debut a huge success.
For more details on Caribbean Wines & Spirits, new products and specials, visit www.cwsbahamas.com today.
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