[File Photo]

The structural condition of the over 80-year-old Golden Age Home in Lautoka has deteriorated significantly, prompting urgent repair needs.

Minister for Women, Children, and Social Protection Lynda Tabuya says this has made the Ministry work on the renovation of the Ba Mission Hospital to temporarily accommodate residents and carers while renovations on the Golden Age property are underway.

Tabuya says this financial year, a grant of $710,801 was allocated for the Ba Mission Hospital renovations.

However, Tabuya outlines that the Methodist Church of Fiji, which owns the Ba Mission Hospital, informed the Ministry of their alternate plans for the property at the beginning of this financial year and due to time constraints and the project’s urgency, the Ministry, with the assistance of the Provincial Administrator Ba, identified an alternative site.

Tabuya explained that other alternatives referred by the Board Chair of the Home were unsuitable.

Fortunately, the Ministry has secured an alternative property at Matanakilangi House, owned by Ba Provincial Holding Company Limited.

“This partnership has been formalized with a letting agreement signed from April 30 of this year. Matanakilangi House requires renovations to meet the needs of the elderly residents. The Divisional Engineer West, under the Ministry of Public Works, will undertake these renovations at a cost of $341,835.”

Tabuya says the Ministry of Finance has approved the diversion of funds for this purpose.

Currently, the Ministry is awaiting the request to incur expenditure under the Request for Incurrence of Expenditure (RIE) for fund release to the Divisional Engineer West.

The refurbishment is expected to take about eight weeks.