Skeldon Health Centre closed down months after grand opening
….Mahadeo says building needs repairs
Stranger things have happened but just seven months after it was commissioned by senior officers within the Ministry of Health and Central Government, the building which housed the Skeldon Health Centre has been abandoned.
During a recent visit to Skeldon, it was observed that the building has been closed down; gate and doors locked; yard in a filthy state and the building is falling apart, with zinc sheets falling off.
The abandoned building which once housed the Skeldon Health Centre which was commissioned 7 months ago.
In 2011, the BRHA decided to hand over the Government Medical Officer (GMO) building that served the residents of the area. That building was said to have been renovated and was transformed into the health centre.
“It is more spacious and affords more privacy; more counselors here and away from the hustle and bustle of the hospital setting,” said the Senior Health Visitor of the Berbice area at the ribbon- cutting ceremony last November when the facility was commissioned.
When contacted, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Berbice Regional Health Authority (BRHA), Dr. Vishwa Mahadeo, stated that the building was in dire need of repairs; hence a Ministry of Health contract was recently signed to effect repairs to the building.
The building should not have been occupied and commissioned in November as the Skeldon Health Centre if the building was not rendered fit for use or needed repairs, Mahadeo said.
He added that the Skeldon Health Centre services have moved to the Skeldon Hospital.
The Skeldon Health Centre has a history of being moved from place to place, several times. In 1975, the Skeldon Health Centre moved from the St. Margaret Anglican Church at Number 79 Village to the lower flat of the Skeldon Hospital, after which it was moved to the GMO building that has now been closed down and abandoned. It is unclear when repairs to the building will be completed and members of the public can once again access the services of the Skeldon Health Centre at the original location.
