The refurbished and upgraded Tupapa Health Centre outpatient facility has been completed.

The refurbished building, located just behind the health centre, includes additional consultation rooms.

The $641,179.60 project was contracted to Landholdings Ltd and was expected to be completed in June of this year.

Te Marae Ora (TMO) Ministry for Health secretary Bob Williams has confirmed that the official opening of the constructed facility will be held today (Friday) at 9am.

In late October, at the 74^th session of the World Health Organization Regional Committee for Western Pacific Meeting, Health Minister Rose Toki-Brown thanked the international body for its ongoing support for health systems strengthening initiatives in the Cook Islands and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for the additional new consultation rooms that will be opened.

The Tupapa Health facility upgrades also included minor landscaping and facility upgrades.

In 2021, the Cook Islands successfully accessed NZ$3.2 million in grants from the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction (JFPR), administered through the ADB. The fund was initially intended to support the safe recovery of travel and tourism in the Cook Islands, but was set aside for projects supporting targeted airport and health readiness activities.

As previously reported, TMO, the Ministry of Finance and Economic Management (MFEM), and the Major Projects and Procurement Support (MPPS) Division prioritised strengthening the health system in the management of Covid-19 through the refurbishment of the Tupapa Health Facility.

At the awarding of the contract to Landholdings in April this year, Financial Secretary Garth Henderson said: “I’m very pleased to be signing off this contract. It has taken longer than expected, however, not only does it strengthen our medical facilities and the capacity of Te Marae Ora to provide health services to our communities, it also creates employment and economic stimulus to aid our recovery from the pandemic.”