Hospitainer for Statia to be functional on May 15

A hospi­tainer unit which arrived in St. Eustatius from the Neth­erlands on Wednesday, April 22, is expected to be become functional on May 15.

The hospitainer, a semi­permanent field hospital for rapid deployment, arrived in six containers onboard the Orion MV at Charles A. Woodley pier. The con­tainers were flown from the Netherlands to St. Maarten in two shipments, one of which arrived on April I7 and the second on April 22. On hand for the delivery of the hospitainer at the pier were Government Com­missioner Marnix van Rij, Deputy Government Com­missioner Alida Francis, Public Health Department head Carol Jack-Roosberg, Crisis Coordinator Peter Glerum and Ministry of Public Health, Welfare and Sport representative Guze­lien Hermans.

Bonaire, Statia and Saba had requested medical sup­port to combat the coro­navirus COVID-19 from the Health Ministry in the Netherlands, because the regular medical services on the islands are inadequate to provide care for persons with COVID-19 symptoms and insufficient to guar­antee the containment of these cases.

The hospitainer can be used in response to any med­ical challenge that may arise during the COVID-19 out­break, offering a safe medi­cal environment. When the hospitainer is operational, it can provide special care for persons who need medical attention. A total of six beds are provided for in isola­tion rooms. If a patient has breathing problems and is still alert he/she can be sup­ported with ventilation.

In more complicated cases when a patient has breath­ing problems and is no lon­ger responsive, the patient will be transported to St. Maarten for further treat­ment.

Doctors who will be work­ing in the hospitainer are be­ing recruited in the Nether­lands. Nurses will be recruit­ed in the Netherlands and in Statia and the surrounding islands.

The public entity St. Eusta­tius said it was “much appre­ciative and very happy” with the delivery of the hospitainer, which contains additional basic medical facilities when the island is confronted with new COVID-19 cases. The hospitainer will be placed on the property behind the Jewish cemetery and the Old Church cemetery.

The Daily Herald.