The Government of Grenada is officially launching the international tender process to identify a partner for the delivery of the new Grenada General Hospital, to replace the existing St. George’s General Hospital. The request for qualified bidders was issued today on the government website (www.gov.gd). The replacement hospital will provide Grenadians a world class public healthcare facility, with a sustainable and clinically appropriate design that allows for a dramatically higher quality of care. Improved quality of care will be additionally ensured by an initiative to reconfigure the way in which public clinical services are managed and delivered. This “Clinical Transition Plan” will be implemented by the Ministry of Health with the support of IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, which is supporting the government throughout this process as lead transaction advisor. IFC brings international expertise and best practices to ensure the best possible outcome for the Government. IFC is supported by Mott MacDonald (UK) as technical advisors and Heenan Blaikie (Canada) as legal advisors, both with significant experience in similar hospital PPP projects. It is intended that the hospital will also benefit from a partnership with St. George’s University (SGU). With access to a world class hospital, SGU will be able to expand its clinical teaching program in Grenada, thereby strengthening its offer. The hospital will benefit from the rigor and discipline required for and resulting from a teaching hospital. The hospital will also allow Grenada to position itself as a destination for medical tourism through its world class facility and care. The hospital will be designed so that it can expand easily to meet future growth in demand for medical tourism. Hospital Description The hospital will have 180 general acute public patient beds and 14 single/private rooms, 4 of which will be in a separate private ward for private patients and medical tourism patients. The scope of services provided at hospital will encompass the following: Internal medicine Renal dialysis Medical oncology General surgery Neonatology Vascular surgery Trauma and orthopedics Pediatric medicine Urology Ophthalmology Cardiology Plastic surgery Acute psychiatry Endocrinology Ear, nose and throat Obstetrics and gynecology Hematology Communicable diseases Midwifery Renal medicine Chemotherapy day services Tender Process The tender process encompasses the current period of prequalification, followed by the issuance of the Request for Proposals, the receipt of proposals, their evaluation and finally the award of the contract to a winning bidder. This process is expected to be completed by the end of the first quarter of 2013. Construction of the new hospital will begin shortly thereafter. About IFC IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is the largest global development institution focused exclusively on the private sector. IFC helps developing countries achieve sustainable growth by financing investment, providing advisory services to businesses and governments, and mobilizing capital in the international financial markets. In fiscal 2011, amid economic uncertainty across the globe, IFC helped its clients create jobs, strengthen environmental performance, and contribute to their local communities—all while driving IFC investments to an all-time high of nearly $19 billion. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.