The UWI Global Campus, Barbados. Monday, October 22, 2025—Students of The University of the West Indies (The UWI) Global Campus, Barbados, enrolled in the Facilities Management programme, recently participated in an educational site visit on October 7, 2025, to the new Geriatric Hospital under construction in Waterford, St. Michael.
The visit was part of the six-month Continuing and Professional Education (CPE) Certificate in Facilities Management, which includes four core courses: Introduction to Facilities Management, Maintenance Management, Sustainability in Facilities Management, and Facilities Change Management. The programme is designed to provide both individuals entering the field and professionals seeking to broaden their expertise with the foundational knowledge, skills, and competencies needed to effectively manage diverse and evolving organisational environments.
A cohort of approximately 14 students, accompanied by their tutor and The UWI Global Campus Site staff, toured the modern, purpose-built facility designed to cater to Barbados’ ageing population. Course tutor Ms. Diana Bryan stated, “This facility presents an exceptional opportunity for my students to experience a state-of-the-art, modern healthcare environment. [Moreover], the visit provides invaluable practical insight into contemporary building design, operational efficiency, and patient-centric facility management.”
The tour was facilitated by key project personnel, including Peterkin Brome, Edward Martindale, and Orson Alleyne of Steinbok Management Services Inc.; Adam Spencer of Spencer Thorne Consultants Civil and Structural Engineering; Connel Hinds, Electrical Engineering Associate at ADeB Consultants Ltd; and Amanda Moseley, Architect Associate with Archis Design Group Inc.
The 300-bed, naturally ventilated, 24-hour facility has been designed to meet earthquake and hurricane resilience standards. It includes administration offices, a social care unit, records management unit, chapel, quarantine and isolation wards, central plant, and a backup generator capable of powering the entire operation. Additional infrastructure features dedicated potable water storage tanks, a sewage treatment plant, emergency access zones, a fire lane, and a delivery area. As there are no wells on-site, an irrigation system and retention pond have been implemented, while landscaping elements, such as hedging, help reduce noise.
Mr. Orson Alleyne, Project Manager at Steinbok Management Services Inc., expressed his enthusiasm for developing qualified facilities management professionals through The UWI Global Campus programme, highlighting the growing importance of the discipline in supporting facilities of this scale and complexity.
The site visit was highly valued by students. Mr. Richard Moore, an Estate Supervisor in the Public Sector, shared: “I found the tour extremely educational regarding the core aspects required to properly manage a facility. The comprehensive information opened up our thought processes at a granular level, allowing us to fully understand the scope of planning needed to achieve a viable product. I would seriously recommend a follow-up visit when the facility becomes operational. In fact, I want to go on record stating that site visits of this nature should become an established feature of the standard operating procedures of the Global Campus programmes.”
Students from this cohort are expected to successfully complete their studies in May 2026.
1. Facilities Management students preparing for the walk-through of the facilities
2.Mr. Orson Alleyne, Project Manager at Steinbok Management Services Inc. (right) speaking to the group with (from left) Adam Spencer of Spencer Thorne Consultants Civil and Structural Engineering_ Connel Hinds, El
3. Students touring the roof of the new geriatric hospital complex
About The University of the West Indies
The UWI has been and continues to be a pivotal force in every aspect of Caribbean development, residing at the center of all efforts to improve the well-being of people across the region for over 75 years. From a university college of London in Jamaica with 33 medical students in 1948, The UWI is today an internationally respected, global university with nearly 50,000 students and five campuses: Mona in Jamaica, St. Augustine in Trinidad and Tobago, Cave Hill in Barbados, Five Islands in Antigua and Barbuda and its Global Campus, and global centres in partnership with universities in North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Europe.
The UWI offers over 1000 certificate, diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Culture, Creative and Performing Arts, Food and Agriculture, Engineering, Humanities and Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Science and Technology, Social Sciences, and Sport. As the Caribbean’s leading university, it possesses the largest pool of Caribbean intellect and expertise committed to confronting the critical issues of our region and the wider world.
The UWI has been consistently ranked among the best in the world by the most reputable ranking agency, Times Higher Education (THE). Since The UWI’s 2018 debut in THE’s rankings, it has performed well in multiple schemes—among them including World University Rankings, Golden Age University Rankings (between 50 and 80 years old), Latin America Rankings, and the Impact Rankings for its response to the world’s biggest concerns, outlined in the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including Good Health and Well-being; Gender Equality and Climate Action.
Learn more at www.uwi.edu.
