Saint Lucia: The Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) and the Government of Saint Lucia have signed contracts with two Saint Lucian and two Saudi Arabian construction and consulting firms to complete the reconstruction of St. Jude Hospital in Augier, Vieux-Fort, Saint Lucia, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA). The signing is a significant step forward for transferring health services from the retrofitted George Odlum National Stadium to St. Jude Hospital, which was tragically damaged in a fire in 2009, the SPA reported.
The reconstruction of St. Jude Hospital, funded by the SFD with a concessional loan of $75 million, will include around 100 beds, emergency rooms, maternity wards, and surgical suites, serving about 50,000 patients annually.
The hospital will also enhance healthcare quality for the people of Saint Lucia, ensure sustainable service delivery, and enhance access to advanced medical care.
Saint Lucia PM Extends his heartfelt gratitude to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
The agreements were witnessed by SFD Chief Executive Sultan bin Abdulrahman Al-Marshad and Saint Lucia PM Philip Joseph Pierre.
Prime Minister Pierre has expressed his appreciation stating, “I wish to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the government and people of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), the SFD, and everyone who has played a role in bringing us here today.”
In his remarks, Al-Marshad has emphasized that the hospital’s reconstruction would empower local people, strengthen the healthcare sector’s ability to meet the needs of the people of St. Lucia, and promote social and economic growth.
READ ALSO : China Claims German Naval Vessels in Taiwan Strait ‘Increase Security Risks’
The project comes as part of SFD’s long-standing commitment to helping sustainable socio-economic development in developing nations and Small Island Developing States (SIDS), while contributing to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In 2024, the SFD has celebrated 50 years of global development impact, touching hundreds of millions of lives across 100 nations in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Eastern Europe. As the official global development arm of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), the SFD has financed and supported over 800 projects with a total funding of $20 billion. Since 2023, the SFD has expanded development loans to nine nations, all of which are SIDS.
