CONSTRUCTION of the modern US$4M National Reference Laboratory is almost 90 per cent complete.

Upon its completion, slated for next month, the three-storey building in Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) compound will house the Genito Urinary Medicine (GUM) Clinic and, hopefully, serve as a hub for the Caribbean, officials said.

The new edifice is being constructed with funding through the United States (U.S.) President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), at Thomas and New Market Streets in the city.

The 1,500 square metres structure is expected to be handed over for use on July 4 and will certainly improve the array of services being presently offered at the GPH lab, among them the ability to determine the common types of poisons used in murder cases.

The facility will also be the lead one for the network of labs, including the Ministry of Health Food and Drug lab and graduates from University of Guyana (UG) are to be included for the staffing.