On Thursday, St Vincent and the Grenadines Minister of Health, St Clair Prince, said that there is an increase in hospitalisation for persons requiring care for COVID-19.
The Minister said the Argyle isolation facility has already exceeded the capacity within the last two weeks. The facility was built to house 22 patients.
Prince said additional isolation is available at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital.
“The female medical ward which has the capacity for 36 persons was converted to a COVID unit. In terms of maternity care, we have an isolation unit for positive mothers”.
Prince said concerning capacity, the measures taken would continue to have implications for non-COVID-19 patients.
“As we have said before, all elective surgery’s, outpatients clinics and outpatient X-rays at the MCMH have been suspended until further notice. Persons requiring those services can access them at Buccament clinic, Levi Latham health centre and Georgetown Medical Complex”.
Prince said there are currently 26 ventilators available, along with transport ventilators and two Neonatal ventilators. The Minister said the government had put measures in place to increase the capacity in this area.
“Ventilators would become premium if the spike continues, and we should have 12 -15 more in the next few weeks arriving in SVG.”
Prince stated that there is a capacity for 600 cylinders in the area of Oxygen, citing that outside of COVID-19, the leading health facility can use up to 400 per month.
“Discussions are ongoing with local and regional suppliers to increase the island’s capacity, and we are appealing to those in the communities with empty cylinders to bring them into the ministry of Health. The reward is $100, paid immediately”.
Six hundred and ninety-seven cases are currently active, and seventeen (17) persons with COVID-19 have died.
Three thousand seventy-one (3071) cases of COVID-19 and two thousand, three hundred and fifty-seven (2357) recoveries have been recorded in St. Vincent and the Grenadines since March 2020.
Leave a Reply