Plans were initially announced back in July (story here.
However, one obstacle officials face is relocating market vendors based at the site of the planned hospital to a new place to sell their wares.
The announcement came at a meeting held by Chalong Mayor, Samran Jindaphol, and Phuket Vice Governor Khajornkiet Rakpanichmanee at the Chalong Municipality office on Friday morning.
Speaking to The Phuket News following the meeting, Mayor Samran said, “We have made a lot of progress this morning. The only problem we now face is finding the vendors who work at the market where the hospital is to be built a new location to work from.
“At present, the land is being used as a market which has about 74 vendors. It is my responsibility to find them a new place where they continue to earn a living,” Mayor Samran said.
“I have two or three locations in mind and I will propose those sites to the vendors in a meeting to be held next week. If the vendors are satisfied with my proposal the building of Chalong hospital will begin this year,” he added.
The 10 rai plot of land to be used for the hospital belongs to the family of former MP for Phuket Mr Rewat Areerob who was the MP at the time of the May 22 coup.
The Phuket News understands that the land was donated to Chalong Municipality for the hospital to be built.
The B100-million budget for the construction has already been approved by the cabinet and contracts are due to be signed in the near future.
“It will be like a smaller version of Vachira Hospital and will have beds for about 200 patients,” V/Gov Khajornkiet said.
“If there are no problems at the meeting next week building can start as early as November 15. The first building to be constructed will be be start the Accident and Emergency Department which will be complete in six months will then be able to start handling patients,” V/Gov Khajornkiet concluded.
It is estimated that construction of the new hospital will take one and a half years to complete.