The Cornwall Regional Hospital has been forced to re-purpose wards to facilitate the inflow of patients. And other hospitals across the island continue to buckle under pressure as COVID-19 infections soar.
The number of people requiring medical attention due to COVID-19 continues to increase daily at the Cornwall Regional Hospital in St. James. And as some health institutions have had to scale back on other treatments for non-COVID-related cases, additional spaces are being looked at to house in-patients at the hospital, as the designated isolation wards are full to capacity and the A&E department is currently crowded.
Another provisional tent is being pitched at the facility to accommodate the influx of confirmed cases of the virus. Senior Medical Officer at the facility, Dr. Derek Harvey, however, notes that these temporary structures are not conducive to the wet season. As a means to conserve oxygen, only dire emergency cases are being operated on. he noted that some areas on wards are being transformed to into isolation areas to assist with the growing number of cases and hospitalization.
Dr. Harvey says although the oxygen supply is being replenished, it may not be enough for the specialized machines at the facility.
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