Emergency Field Hospital in Black River Now Operational

The tier-two emergency field hospital deployed in Black River, St. Elizabeth, to bolster healthcare delivery in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, is now operational and has treated approximately 50 patients within the past 24 hours.

The hospital was established by Samaritan’s Purse International Relief, an evangelical Christian humanitarian organisation.

“It’s an accident and emergency facility with a number of services… 30 in-patient beds, operating theatre room, surgical procedure, emergency room, obstetric and maternal and neonatal care and lab and pharmacy services and blood bank,” Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, informed.

He was speaking during a special press briefing on Hurricane Melissa recovery at Jamaica House on Thursday (November 6).

Dr. Tufton noted that the field hospital is staffed by approximately 60 medical professionals from the United States, working in collaboration with local healthcare personnel. He further indicated that the facility will be complemented by a field clinic.

“We’re mounting a primary healthcare facility on the grounds of the Black River Health Centre. What that will allow for is a triaging process of the non-essential cases because everybody will come to the hospital but not everybody needs that kind of service. So that facility will be up, hopefully by today [Thursday],” the Minister stated.

Meanwhile, Dr. Tufton noted yesterday’s arrival of a 76-member team of doctors, nurses, technicians, and engineers from Spain, who will be deploying a second field hospital in Falmouth, Trelawny.

“We’re hoping that, over the next couple of days, a second full-fledged field hospital will be mounted in Falmouth with all the services of emergency care, surgery, paediatrics, traumatology, physiotherapy, psychology, general anaesthetic services, radiology services, lab pharmacy and sterilisation,” he said.

The Minister emphasised that the second field hospital will help alleviate pressure on the Falmouth Hospital.

Dr. Tufton also announced that the Government is preparing to deploy a third field hospital at the Cornwall Regional Hospital in Montego Bay, St. James.

“This one is a discussion which I’m told is close to finalisation with the people and Government of Barbados, [and] will be flown into the island, hopefully, sometime soon. That will also come with all the things that I’ve described for the previous ones, and that will provide critical support for the Cornwall Regional operation and the people in St. James,” he outlined.

The Minister added that Whitehouse in Westmoreland is also under consideration for the establishment of a field health centre, which would serve as a base for medical outreach to other communities across the parish severely impacted by Hurricane Melissa.

“We are working with Samaritan’s Purse to locate a tier-one field health centre… from where we will operate to go into the hills and give support from that base. We are exploring the possibility of a field hospital between Whitehouse and Belmont, and some conversations are taking place with some [potential] partners to see if that is possible,” Dr. Tufton stated.