Tamarin to Get 14-Bed Private Hospital

IBL has received the green light to transform its Tamarin care centre into a fully operational private hospital. The Ministry of the Environment has granted Life Viva Medical Clinic Ltd permission to convert its day care facility, located at Cap Tamarin, into a private hospital that will operate around the clock, seven days a week. This marks the first of two conversion requests submitted by the company to receive official approval.

The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) permit was awarded on 4 April 2024, a mere five months after the initial application was lodged on 2 November 2023.

This document was mandated under the Environment Protection Act, as any transformation into a hospital is deemed an activity requiring environmental impact evaluation.

Tamarin Smart City

Life Viva Medical Clinic Ltd is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Life Together Ltd, an entity specialising in life sciences, which is part of the IBL Group conglomerate.

The care unit, located in Cap Tamarin Smart City, has operated for several years as an outpatient clinic, offering scheduled surgical interventions.

However, it has been unable to provide overnight patient observation or emergency services due to restrictions set by the Private Health Institutions Act.

With this newly approved conversion, the establishment will now offer comprehensive hospital care, including emergency services, imaging, general medicine, surgery, and outpatient consultations.

It will feature a capacity of 14 beds for inpatients.

According to the documents submitted during the EIA process, the transformation will not necessitate any demolition or new construction; rather, it will involve an internal reorganisation of the existing buildings.

The site is situated on two contiguous parcels owned by MedWest Ltd (also part of IBL), within the boundaries of Cap Tamarin Smart City.

Notably, no elements of protected biodiversity have been identified on the site, which lies approximately 80 metres from the Tamarin River, separated from the land in question by another parcel of the Smart City.

Previous environmental studies have concluded that there is no risk to the watercourse.

This initiative, according to the promoter, addresses a growing demand for hospital care in the western part of the island, where public infrastructure is virtually non-existent.

Currently, three private care units are operational in the region, yet none function as a continuous hospital.

The estimated cost of the transformation stands at Rs 14.3 million.

The workforce is expected to expand from the current 25 employees to around 75 once the hospital is fully operational.

These new positions will primarily involve healthcare professionals, including doctors, nurses, and nursing assistants, as well as support staff.

The opening of this hospital aligns with Life Together’s long-term strategy to develop an integrated health offering across multiple hubs (Forbach, Rose-Hill, Tamarin).

In Cap Tamarin, the overarching project ultimately envisions a larger capacity hospital, a wellness and rehabilitation centre, residences for the elderly, and a sports centre.

Furthermore, Life Viva has also submitted a similar request for its care unit in Forbach, located within the HealthScape complex.

This application, lodged on 30 November 2024, is currently under review by the Ministry of the Environment.

This second project aims to convert another outpatient clinic into a 16-bed hospital.

Source: Defi Media