Bahamian hospital project sparks rift

The U.S. is again objecting to Chinese funding and construction of a $285 million state-of-the-art hospital planned for the Bahamian capital, reigniting tensions with The Bahamas over preparations for the project.

The latest reason for the row was an official statement of objection from American Ambassador and former NFL star Herschel Walker, who criticized the administration of Prime Minister Phillip Davis for allegedly rushing ahead with construction even though the U.S. has offered to help with funding and engineering.

Former NFL football player Herschel Walker, U.S. President Donald Trump’s nominee to be ambassador to the Bahamas, testifies before a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on nominations on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., Sept. 11, 2025. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Upset at the latest salvo tossed at the cabinet, the local foreign ministry said it will seek “urgent clarification from the U.S .because of the “unusual” intervention of Walker and Washington in what is largely a local and sovereign project. Walker had, late last year, expressed concern about China’s growing influence in The Bahamas and the Caribbean, vowing to work to reduce Beijing’s progress.

“We are disappointed to see this project move forward so quickly when fundamental concerns about the terms of the deal remain unaddressed,” Walker said in a statement. “I question the decision to rush forward with a deal that places the hospital financing under Chinese law and jurisdiction on Bahamian soil,” he noted, again suggesting as he did recently that ”the U.S.’ offer to help The Bahamas secure better financing options-whether from public or private sources-remains on the table.”

Lashing back at Walker in the midst of preparations for the general elections on May 12th, the ministry said that all key issues regarding the project had been addressed months ago.

“The record will show that there are no unresolved or unaddressed matters connected to this agreement. All associated documents have been tabled in the Parliament of The Bahamas. Any suggestion that the government acted with undue haste is misplaced,” the ministry said, noting that further delay “is something our national interest can ill afford. The Bahamas is a sovereign country and is fully capable of advancing and safeguarding those interests while acting in the public interest,” it said.

The Chinese government also chimed in on the row during a sod-turning ceremony at the weekend, with Ambassador Yan Jiarong noting that “we believe that the Bahamian government has the sovereign right to choose its international partners based on its own national priorities, development needs, and public interests.” About 50 % of the workforce will be Chinese workers.

Further defending the project as one that should proceed without interference, Health Minister Michael Darville said that a new facility is urgently needed, as the main hospital in the city is inadequate and was built more than 70 years ago, when the population was less than half of today’s.

“Let us be honest, the Princess Margaret Hospital was constructed in the late 1950s when our population was just over 100,000 people. The hospital is aging. It’s crumbling. We’re chasing one infrastructure repair after the other, and it is simply unable to meet the demands of our current population,” he said at the ceremony.

China’s Export-Import Bank is providing nearly $200 million in funding, while authorities raise the remainder.

Authorities say they had repeatedly reached out to the U.S. for financing, but nothing came of their efforts. Walker maintains that this can still be done even though such an effort would mean a significant delay in the construction phase, officials say.