The St Vincent Government said it has been looking for land to start the process of relocating those who live at Pole Yard.
The Pole Yard area, which runs along the northern end of the old E.T. Joshua airfield, is a squatter colony that has been designated as part of the property that will house the New Acute Referral Hospital at Arnos Vale.
Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves stated that they will not be able to find a single parcel of land for all of the individuals living in Pole Yard and advised people who went there after the announcement not to scam the system.
“I just want to say, I want to make it plain. We have made it clear that there was a cutoff point. So anybody who went to Pole Yard and squatted after a particular time, don’t come and say, You’re there because you can’t go and game the system.”
“I’m not saying we wouldn’t help, but it’s a different process and extent of helping. But there are long-standing residents at Pole Yard who will have to be resettled.”
Acute Referral Hospital
The acute referral hospital is to be constructed at an estimated cost of US$98 million, with more than 80 million going towards the construction of the hospital and the purchase of necessary equipment.
The remainder will be used to strengthen healthcare resilience through a system of reforms across the health sector and project management and consultancy fees.
