A $140.8 million health simulation centre commissioned in Mahdia is reportedly sitting without electricity, while a badly deteriorated roadway and bridge at Tiger Hill are creating what Opposition MP Sherod Duncan says is a potentially deadly threat to residents, miners and other road users.
Duncan, an A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Member of Parliament, raised the concerns after visiting Mahdia with municipal councillors Daniel Fraser and Rapha “Blue” Corbin and other members of the team.
The health simulation centre was commissioned as part of efforts to expand health sciences education in the hinterland, including practical training for nurses and other healthcare workers. According to the Department of Public Information, the facility cost taxpayers $140.8 million.
But Duncan said the multimillion-dollar building appeared inactive when he visited and, more significantly, had no electricity.
“However, since the commissioning ceremony, there has been no visible activity at the centre. More troublingly, during our site visit, we observed that the building had no electricity.”
The absence of electricity raises fundamental questions about whether the facility is actually ready to deliver the services for which taxpayers paid.
“This raises an obvious question: how can a modern health simulation centre operate without the power required for its equipment, lighting and training activities?”
Duncan accused the government of putting too much emphasis on commissioning ceremonies while failing to ensure that public facilities are operational.
“This reflects a troubling pattern in which buildings are commissioned, ministers deliver speeches and photographs are circulated before facilities are ready to serve the public.”
He said a ribbon-cutting ceremony cannot substitute for a functioning public service.
“A commissioning ceremony should mark the beginning of public service, not the end of the government’s responsibility for a project.”
Duncan is demanding that the Ministry of Health explain why the centre was commissioned without electricity and provide a clear timeline for its connection.
He is also demanding answers on what equipment has been installed, when training will begin, who will manage the centre and how many nursing students and other healthcare workers are expected to benefit.
The APNU MP stressed that his criticism was not directed at investment in hinterland healthcare but at the failure to ensure that the investment is operational.
“APNU supports investments that strengthen healthcare and expand opportunities in the hinterland. However, a $140.8 million building standing inactive and without electricity cannot be considered a completed health-training facility.”
“The people of Region Eight deserve a fully operational simulation centre, not merely a commissioned building.”
‘A disaster waiting to happen’
Duncan’s concerns over Mahdia’s infrastructure did not end at the health centre.
On August 30, during his continuing visit to Region Eight, he travelled to Tiger Hill with Fraser, Corbin and their team and described the road there as a serious public safety hazard.
His assessment was blunt: “TIGER HILL, REGION 8: A DISASTER WAITING TO HAPPEN.”
Duncan said the roadway is steep, narrow and severely eroded, leaving motorists vulnerable to losing control, particularly during rainfall, with the possibility of plunging into the ravine below.
“What we saw should alarm every responsible authority: a steep, narrow and severely eroded roadway where motorists risk losing control, particularly during rainfall, and slipping into the ravine below.”
The situation is further complicated by deterioration around culverts, where Duncan said large openings have developed and pose additional danger to commuters.
According to Councillor Fraser, road works reportedly began about five years ago. However, Duncan said the Municipal Council was never properly informed about the scope of the project and the work remains unfinished.
Residents and motorists have repeatedly complained about the conditions, he said.
The bridge along the route is also raising concerns.
Duncan said the team observed an uneven bridge deck, deteriorating structural components and timber braces supporting portions of the structure—conditions he believes warrant immediate professional examination.
“These conditions require an urgent professional assessment to determine whether the structure remains safe for continued use.”
He is calling on the Ministry of Public Works to take immediate action, including restricting unsafe use of the road or bridge where necessary, conducting and publishing a structural assessment, and commencing emergency repairs.
The Tiger Hill route is not a minor back road. Duncan said it connects Mahdia with Mango Landing and is used by residents, miners, commercial operators and emergency services.
For Duncan, the issue is therefore not simply one of road maintenance but public safety.
“The authorities cannot continue waiting for public pressure, or a fatal accident, before acting.”
The two controversies put a spotlight on a fundamental question facing Region Eight: whether public infrastructure is being delivered as functioning services or simply as completed construction projects ready for commissioning ceremonies.
Duncan is demanding answers from the relevant ministries. The statements provided do not include responses from the Ministry of Health or Ministry of Public Works to the concerns he raised.
