Government Signs Contracts for New Long-Term Residential Mental Health Facility

The Ministry of Health, Environment, Culture and Housing is pleased to announce that the initial contracts for the award of the construction of the new Long-Term Residential Mental Health Facility (LTRMHF) in East End, Grand Cayman have been signed.

In attendance at this momentous occasion was the Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin, who previously served as Minister of Health, along with the Hon. Dwayne Seymour, Minister of Health.

The long-term residential mental health facility will be a 54-bed facility that will serve the residents of the Cayman Islands who have serious and persistent mental illness, enabling them to be cared for holistically in a safe and secure environment.

This development helps to further fulfill three of the Government’s strategic broad outcomes to ensure access to quality, affordable healthcare; to build stronger communities; and to support the most vulnerable in society.

It is envisaged that the new facility will open in the second quarter of 2021.

At the signing of the contracts, Minister Seymour said: “The Long-term Residential Mental Health Facility will be a state of the art facility of its type in the region. While the establishment will aim to reintegrate patients back into society, it will also offer a secure and productive place to live for those who need life-long care. I look forward to breaking ground on this historic initiative next week. We are moving into a new era of mental health care in the Cayman Islands.”

Hon. Alden McLaughlin noted: “One of the driving forces behind the establishment of this new centre is to bring patients home who are overseas in institutions. It will allow them to be closer to their families and friends as they undergo treatment which has proven to be beneficial to help them return as wholesome members of the community.”

The Ministry’s Acting Chief Officer Nancy Barnard voiced her appreciation for the team of civil servants who helped to start the tangible delivery of one of government’s major projects:

“The Ministry of Health team has worked diligently over the past few years, along with our fellow agencies in particular the Public Works Department. Special thanks also go to the project’s Steering Committee and to the Mental Health Commission, led by Dr Marc Lockhart, as well as to mental healthcare professionals and community advocates for getting the project to this stage,” she said.

L-R Front row: Brent McComb, Phoenix; Ron Wilson, Ron Wilson’s Equipment; Wally Smith, AAA Construction; Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin; Minister of Health Hon. Dwayne Seymour; Acting Chief Officer for Health, Nancy Barnard. L-R Second row: Jason Brown, Ron Wilson’s Equipment; Barbara Anley, Phoenix; Patricia Thomas, AAA Construction; Acting-Deputy Chief Officer, Ministry of Health, Troy Jacob; Senior Project Manager and Deputy Director PWD, Niasha Brady; Senior Policy Officer for Health, Ministry of Health, Janett Flynn; Chief Project Manager, PWD Major Projects Office, Peter Ranger.