| Jaber Al-Sabah hospital expected to be completed by 2014 |
| | Wed, 25 Jan 2012 |
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KUWAIT: Project Management Institute (PMI), Kuwait's branch of the Arabian Gulf Chapter, organized a field visit to the Middle East's largest general hospital, Jaber Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, on Wednesday. The visit comes as part of the PMI's keenness to extend the bridges of communication between companies of different construction activities in the presence of governing body and the participation of many members, professionals, and specialists in the field of project management. Jaber Hospital, which is planned to accommodate 1,168 beds and includes the world's most advanced medical technology, is part of Kuwait's development plan which aims at providing the nation with the best quality of health care in the region. The cost of the mega project, implemented by Egypt's Arab Contractors and supervised by Langdon Winston, is estimated to be about 304 million Kuwaiti dinars. The hospital is equipped with 50 ambulance cars, three helicopters and abides by American standards. Engineer Ali Nadoom explained that the hospital's design concept merges ornamented Islamic Art with lighthouses, to symbolize Arab beauty and a beacon that people seek for aid. The plan is to be the world's sixth largest hospital and Middle East's number one. The Trauma room, planned to be one of a kind in the region, accommodates 160 beds and six operation rooms, he said. Jaber Hospital is expected to be completed within the next two years, making it the fastest constructed building of its size to be built in six years. Engineer Siri Soliman of Arab Contractors said that the company has come with a policy to overcome the obstacles they've been encountering lately, which include lack of skilled labor. "We brought our own people (from Egypt) who are loyal to us and will be liable to work for me only in order to fulfill the time schedule and avoid penalties, and most of all maintain our reputation," he added. Engineer Soliman said that even though the budget increased to beat the specified target, the resources and working hours have also increased to balance out the equation to guarantee scheduled delivery of the project. "Jaber Hospital is controlled and followed by the Kuwaiti and Egyptian authorities, and both sides are keen to see the project completed," he said. PMI director of programs Mohammed Ilyas gave a brief overview PMI Kuwait activities and initiatives of this nature. Ahmed Samir vice president programs introduced the participants to the PMI-AGC Kuwait branch technical training initiatives, while Vice President Public Relations & Membership Iman Al-Gharabally, thanked the host and Project Manager Eng. Nadoom and his team for providing this opportunity to PMI Kuwait members to learn and acquire insight to the project construction and lessons learned.
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