The Public Hospitals Authority (PHA) was established in July 1999 by an Act of Parliament (1998) as a public corporation responsible for the management and development of the public hospital system in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.
By virtue of this Act, the PHA was vested with the powers, rights, privileges and ownership, of all land, buildings, movable property and undertakings of the hospitals that were previously held by the government.
There are three (3) such institutions, namely:
�Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH)
�Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre (SRC); and
�Rand Memorial Hospital (RAND)
The core functions of The Authority are:
�To control, regulate and administer all matters related to the management and development of public hospitals in the Bahamas;
�To ensure the application of efficient and appropriate techniques, systems and standards for the delivery of healthcare in our hospitals;
�To appoint such employees as it considers necessary on such terms and conditions (including salaries, allowances, other remunerations and disciplinary control) as the Authority may determine;
�To fix qualifications and terms and conditions of service relating to our employees;
�To consult with the Minister on matters of national health policy and capital development programmes for hospitals;
�To operate, construct, equip, furnish, maintain, manage, secure and repair all our property for use by the general public;
�To facilitate the use of our hospitals for service, teaching and research;
�To establish and develop relationships with national, regional and international bodies engaged in similar or ancillary pursuits;
�To collaborate with educational institutions, such as the University of the West Indies, the College of The Bahamas, the Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute and any other recognized training institution in research and in the education and training of persons in medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, bio-medical and health science fields, as well as any related ancillary and supportive fields.