Video: Govt On MOU For Medical Facility
[Updating] Premier and Minister of Finance David Burt is holding a press conference this morning [Aug 14]. We will have additional information later on, and in the meantime the live video is below.
Update: Further details to come but as a super brief summary for now, it was announced that an MOU has been signed with Medical Concepts Consulting Management [MCCM] to create a “world class medical facility” and the “establishment of a medical tourism industry.
Update: The live broadcast has concluded and the replay is below
Update 6.22pm: A Government spokesperson said, “Earlier today, the Hon. E David Burt, JP, MP, Premier and Minister of Finance, hosted a press conference to announce a partnership between the Government of Bermuda and Medical Concepts Consulting and Management [MCCM] by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding for the development of a world-class medical facility in Bermuda.
“Premier Burt was joined by Junior Minister of Finance, the Hon. Wayne Furbert, Bermuda Hospitals Board CEO Scott Pearman, Chairman and Founder of Medical Concepts Consulting and Management Ltd, Lou Maroun and his colleagues, Executive Chairman, Michael Warren, and Chief Executive Officer, Louis Desmarais.”
Premier David Burt said “Good Morning, Junior Minister of Finance, the Hon. Wayne Furbert, Bermuda Hospitals Board CEO Scott Pearman, Chairman and Founder of Medical Concepts Consulting and Management Ltd, Lou Maroun, Executive Chairman, Michael Warren, Chief Executive Officer, Louis Desmarais, members of the media, and the people of Bermuda…
“Today, we are here to formalise an exciting partnership between the Government of Bermuda and Medical Concepts Consulting and Management [MCCM] by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding for the development of a world-class medical facility right here on our shores and the establishment of a medical tourism industry for the first time in our history.
“MCCM is an internationally recognised leader in healthcare facility development. Its team of experts has worked on more than 300 International Healthcare Centre projects in 30 countries. Best of all, it is a Bermuda company led by Bermuda residents who will ensure the success of the enterprise is the success of the island.
“An organisation with such a well-respected reputation could have chosen to build a new facility almost anywhere. Their decision to build right here in Bermuda is a further testament to the work of this Government, our stability, sound governance, and confidence in the future of Bermuda’s economy.
“This project will be completed without government funding or loans. This shows that Bermuda, under this Government, can attract significant private investment for world-class development projects without taxpayers footing the bill.
“It delivers on a platform promise to expand Bermuda’s tourism offering and establish a medical tourism sector. This new healthcare facility will bring patients from overseas to our shores, creating new economic activity in Bermuda. It will not compete with but instead enhance local healthcare access for Bermuda and its residents.
“The development of this new facility will also create hundreds of jobs during construction and hundreds more once operational in medicine, science, diagnostics, hospitality, technical trades, and support services.
“It will also open pathways for young Bermudians to work and training partnerships to help them build their skills and stay here at home. For those working abroad in these same sectors, opportunities will be available for them to return home with their wealth of experience to meaningful careers.
“Bermuda is ready to become a world-class medical tourism destination, and today marks a significant step toward that goal. On behalf of the Government, I want to thank the Chairman and Founder, Lou Maroun and the MCCM team for their vision and commitment to Bermuda. It has been a long road.
“I would also like to thank the Minister and Ministry of Health, the Minister and Ministry of Economy and Labour, and Junior Minister Wayne Furbert for their work on this project over the years. It has been a multi-ministry initiative to get us to this point. I also thank the Bermuda Hospitals Board for their work and collaboration.
“We look forward to seeing the vision become a reality and to its positive impact for Bermuda and Bermudians. Thank you, and I now welcome the Chair and Founder of MCCM Lou Maroun to give a few remarks.”
Lou Maroun Chair and Founder of MCCM said “Premier, Honourable Ministers, distinguished guests, members of the press, ladies and gentlemen:
“It is a privilege to stand before you today for a moment that marks the beginning of an extraordinary chapter in Bermuda’s healthcare journey. We are here not only to sign an agreement, but to set in motion a vision: one that will touch lives, strengthen our economy, and position Bermuda as a leader in healthcare innovation in the region.
“This project, whose embryogenesis dates to 2010, was brought to life, by the Premier in 2019, who saw the opportunity for Bermuda to build a world-class healthcare destination, comparable to other global and iconic healthcare facilities.
“That vision was embraced and carried forward by the Premier and government, whose commitment to healthcare excellence, research, and innovation has brought us to this milestone. Today’s MOU is a testament to their perseverance, foresight, and determination to see this dream realized.
“The Bermuda International Healthcare Center, we envision, is not just a single building or a single facility but rather a comprehensive ecosystem that will bring together clinical care, wellness, research, and education services under one umbrella. It will invite patients, clinicians, and researchers from across the region and around the world.
“The first phase begins with three cornerstone developments:
“1. An intermediate stay Behavioral Health Centre which addresses the ever urgent and growing need for specialized, compassionate, and highquality mental health services. [72 Residential Facility]
“2. A Medical Hotel—designed to provide comfort and convenience for patients and families. [Size will range from 100 to 200 Keys]
“3. An Ambulatory Surgery Center equipped with leading-edge technology to deliver same-day surgical care, efficiently, safely, and to the highest international standards of quality and care. [5 to 10 Ors with Diagnostics and Labs]
“Together, these elements form the foundation upon which the Bermuda International Healthcare Center will grow. A place where wellness and recovery are nurtured alongside scientific research, medical education, and international collaboration.
“This initiative is about far more than infrastructure. It’s about:
- “Creating skilled jobs in healthcare, research, hospitality, and supporting sectors.
- “Attracting investment from regional and global partners who will see Bermuda as a trusted hub for healthcare innovation.
- “Strengthening our reputation as a nation that can deliver world-class services in a way that reflects our unique Bermudian values of care, hospitality, and community.
“This is one of the larger new private investments in Bermuda, to be completed without the need for direct government funding or loans. Phase one represents up to $400 million in investment, with the possibility of an additional $150 million investment if an associated seniors care complex proceeds.
“We’re meeting a growing global demand with best-in-class doctors and surgical facilities, creating 750 person-years of construction employment during construction and 275 full-time operational jobs that will benefit Bermudians across healthcare, therapy, seniors care, technical trades, and hospitality.
“International patients and their families will stay in local hotels, dine in restaurants, and spend with local businesses during their recovery, delivering significant new revenue from abroad into the local economy.
“This International Healthcare Centre will complement, not compete with, Bermuda’s existing healthcare system. No Bermudian will lose their doctor or access to care. We have engaged in constructive dialogue with KEMH, and in addition to serving international patients, the facility can help manage capacity issues and specialized surgery needs beyond current hospital levels — reducing costly overseas care and easing burdens on families. The facility will also offer opportunities for local physicians to observe and collaborate with world-leading surgeons, enhancing their expertise and professional development. Bermudian workers will gain a valuable ability to train and grow good careers, plus potential collaborations with leading educational institutions to create new pathways for high-quality local opportunities.
“Premier, Ministers, and distinguished guests, this MOU is more than a document; it is a promise. A promise that the vision of a world-class International Healthcare Center first imagined years ago and championed by current leadership will take shape here, for the benefit of our people and generations to come.
“We are proud to help deliver the vision, shared by the current Premier and Bermuda Government , of an International healthcare destination that blends world-class medicine with Bermuda’s spirit of care and hospitality. We are honoured to be your partners in this journey. Together, we will make Bermuda not only a place to visit for its beauty, but a place the world turns to for healing, knowledge, and innovation. Thank you.”
Didn’t a previous Premier try and fail to introduce medical tourism?
And where is the money for a “world class medical facility” going to come from?
Step one: your first patients should definitely be anyone who actually believes the Opposition will win again.
Step Two: your patients should be PLP supporters that actually believe this will come to fruition or that the island has improved under a quarter of century of PLP rule.
The OBA is busy playing musical chairs, trying to pick the next clown to fill the last one’s oversized shoes. They need to pick numbers 1, 2, and 3 so everyone knows who’s up next in the circus lineup.
Maybe we should get our hospital to the level of a first class facility before we start spending money to accommodate medical tourism. Look after our own first at a top level.
@ Hannah – And I concur!!
As a non-Bermudian, but a spouse of a Bermudian for 25 years who have contributed significantly to this island, I am inclined to give my opinion on this article.
Great that Medical Concepts Consulting Management (note y’alll, they are Canada affiliated maybe owned, see Medical Tourism and improved healthcare as a great Business venture in Bermy.. but what is the REAL reason for signing of this MOU, and WHY with the ‘non Finance’ Minister is seemly, Championing this Cause? Yesss I know, just by my Jamaican discernment, Morgan’s Point is Di Spot for this project,, YEP think Private hospital and Hotel in one property, where else could that be (then again ‘maybe’ up di hill @ SHP..??? Because Dat hotel idea is a LOOOOOONG time coming…
I take it in all honesty this is a venture that I believe a private entity should undertake by registering like any other business (No MOU needed, just pay your company registration fees etc, long-term lease the MP property and get on with your business (nooo bellls and whistles needed). IF and only IF they are confident this is both feasible and of course profitable (because NO real business goes into such agreement without at least a feasibility study.
The website for MCCM says:
Our vision is to create a new standard of care—constructing state-of-the-art facilities, leveraging breakthrough technologies, and empowering integrated care teams to optimize clinical outcome, increase accessibility, and elevate the patient experience.
Working in collaboration with local public sector stakeholders and leading provider networks, our ambulatory surgery and behavioural health centres in Ontario and Bermuda will serve as a new model for care delivery that can scale to address growing care gaps around the world.
I would like to know why the Minister of Health is not standing at the forefront of this ‘press’ conference IF this is such A big deal for Health Sector, but I’m going to go out on the Astwood cliff to say ‘shi aint in de Loop’ she’ is just another ‘cog’ just there trying to see if KEMH survive the financial asphyxiation.
Mr. Scott Pearman is ‘ in the mix’ so he must be ‘checking’ out a possible CEO gig as KEMH will be nothing but an infirmary for the un-insured people.. Because the Universal Health Coverage is NOT going to EVER happen.. Lord Help us.
I always check the connecting names, sooo on my very short google review of the ‘men’ in the picture representing MCCM, Mr Lou Maroun who is the Chairman and Founder AND he is also the same person who is the named on the website of Brookfield as an Independent Director. Yes, that is the company developing ‘dat huge” office building called Brookfield Place at 91 Front Street in Hamilton, Bermuda.
This nine-story building will serve as the global headquarters for Brookfield Reinsurance and other Bermuda-domiciled affiliates, as well as providing space for other corporate and commercial tenants, sooooo there you have it they CANNOT have these people going to KEMH, hence, this is a PRIVATE hospital for Bermuda’s High NET worth residents and overseas Clients ONLY. In my non singing voice, We ain’t like DEM.. Let the GREEEEEN river Flowwwww..
Praying Always for this little rock that I have decided to SOJOURN on…
The TRUTH WILL BE REVEALED.. Trusting ONLY in The
Hannah and Ella, I totaly agree