(Kaieteur News) – The High Court presided over by Justice Renita Singh, on Thursday shut down applications from Austrian company VAMED Engineering GmbH’s for several temporary orders against the Ministry of Health (MoH) in the specialty hospitals dispute.

In her ruling, Justice Singh found that while the court has jurisdiction under the Arbitration Act 2024 to hear applications for interim measures pending arbitration, VAMED failed to demonstrate the urgency required for such relief. Instead, the judge ruled that the dispute should proceed to arbitration, while ordering both parties to preserve the project sites, equipment and related assets pending the appointment of an arbitral tribunal.

VAMED had sought conservatory orders restraining the Ministry of Health from taking possession of or occupying the Georgetown Paediatric and Maternal Hospital and New Amsterdam Hospital sites, expelling its personnel or subcontractors, and enforcing a €14.9 million performance bond.