Jn Baptiste praised hospital employees and other professionals who sacrificed time to prepare the unit for commissioning. Sponsored | Article continues below ↓Officials estimate approximately 721 employees will be required to operate the facility at full capacity. At present, the workforce stands at 471, leaving roughly 250 additional positions still to be filled before the hospital reaches its intended operational strength. “Our aim is to give the people of Saint Lucia the best and safest hospital environment,” the minister said. On September 9, 2009, fire devasted the hospital’s surgical ward and operating theatres, rendering the island’s principal referral hospital for the south non-functional.