HEALTH CENTRE UPDATE

[Roger]

HEALTH CENTRE UPDATE

This project has been promised for many years. Just before the election the former Mayor awarded the contract to a company, Albaida, at a cost of 1,200,000 euros, mostly paid by the Junta Health Ministry. It is a large facility with 10 consulting rooms. It is envisaged that in due course it will serve as the health centre for both Arboleas and Zurgena, and will also contain facilities which at present people have to go to Huercal Overa for.
This project has to be proceeded with rapidly or we could lose the finance.
However there are two major problems. Finance and Design and Location.

FINANCE
The building company wants to start soon, but they cannot fund the work, so they require monthly stage payment (something which should have been sorted out when the contract was awarded).
We do not have the money and the Junta will pay in stages at the end of 2011 and 2012.
So we are trying to find a way of obtaining bridging finance.

DESIGN AND LOCATION
The projected location is set into the hillside below and in front of the swimming pool and nave.
The access road in front of the building is too narrow for parking and ambulance access. There is no facility for disabled parking. All patients would have to park near the swimming pool and walk down the steep slope to the lower road.
We have had discussions with the Health Ministry officials and the architect. We believe we have agreement to move the building to the flat land in front of the nave where there is easier vehicle access, room for disabled parking and easier pedestrian access.
It will also be cheaper to build and cheaper for air conditioning.