Seven hospitals suffered severe damage from Hurricane Melissa

 

Health Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton says there was catastrophic damage to roof and infrastructure of seven hospitals on the southern and western belt of the island due to Hurricane Melissa.

 

These facilities include Black River in St. Elizabeth, Noel Holmes in Hanover, Falmouth in Trelawny, Cornwall Regional in St. James, and Savanna-la-Mar in Westmoreland, as well as St. Ann's Bay in St. Ann. 

 

He says Bellevue Hospital in Kingston also sustained damage during the passage of the hurricane, including roofing system failure, damage to biomedical equipment, electrical and sanitation and the stormwater system.

 

"Cornwall Regional has lost bed capacity of about 200 beds; Falmouth Hospital lost some 65% of its roof, severe damage to lab and radiology services; Sav-la-Mar with 65?mage to roof along with other flooding damages and storm surge. Black River Hospital has seen the most significant damage, nevertheless, with the hospital being decommissioned in the short term and, of course, the services relocated, including patients which were transferred - some 71 patients to the Mandeville Regional Hospital," he outlined.

 

Dr. Tufton said a multi-pronged approach is being taken to ensure that the health services are restored, including the deployment of field hospitals, to complement the one already in Black River.

 

"There are two other field hospitals that are being established, and as we speak, the field hospital at the Falmouth Hospital is now commissioned and in service. Full-fledged hospitals with operating theatres, pharmacy, blood bank, inpatient care, accident and emergency wards. It's a full self-contained facility which provides significant support to the people on the ground. There's a third that is coming this week. We expect it on the island about Thursday. That one will be deployed at the Sav-la-Mar Hospital compound. Similarly, it will carry the features that these other two carry and will offer critical support to the people of Westmoreland," he promised. 

 

 

In the meantime, the Health Minister said the government will be moving to tackling the issue of vector control. 

 

Ahead of the passage of Hurricane Melissa, Dr. Tufton recalled, there was a decrease in the reported incidence of dengue. But he warned this could be reversed given the current situation. 

 

Speaking in the House of Representatives on Tuesday afternoon, the minister said the interventions will be fast-tracked to avoid a spike in vector-borne diseases.

 

"We are deploying more vector workers throughout the country, but particularly to the impacted areas, some 700 temporary vector workers, in addition to our permanent workers are being engaged. That process has commenced, and what we will see is a stepped-up level of activity in terms of fogging. In fact, the Ministry will continue its programme of oiling of stagnant water in over 150 communities that have been targeted for this week, with over 500 communities expected to be treated over the next two weeks," he announced. 

 

He said additional fogging equipment, including ULV (Ultra Low Volume) machines, more than 10,000 natular tablets and other vector control paraphernalia will be distributed to regions, while an extra 80 thermal foggers and 40,000 drum covers will be procured over the next two weeks.