ICU at COVID-19 Hospital to be functional by weekend -Dr. Anthony

The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention at Liliendaal, should be fully operational by the end of the week, Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony disclosed Tuesday.

“What we are focusing our attention on is to ensure that we have the ICU up and running. The main obstacle there was we did not have the lines for medical gas, and so those lines have now been installed, oxygen has now been put in place.  We’ve had suction and other things that are necessary there, so all that we have now installed. They are now doing some final touches to the floor, and once that is completed, I suspect by the end of this week, we will be able to start the ICU facilities at Ocean View,” Minister Anthony said.

The facility, which falls under the management of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) has a 25-ICU bed capacity, 11 more than the ICU at GPHC.

“We have another area where we have operating theatre, and some other spaces for recovery and so forth. We will be able to house a number of other patients in those areas as well. The intake area where people would have to come in when they’re sick, we’re still working on that section, and that would require a little bit more time for completion,” the Minister explained.

There are several smaller projects to be completed at the hospital but these would be completed in phases.

The facility will be staffed with personnel from GPHC.