Falmouth’s COVID-19 field hospital closed for minor repairs

WESTERN BUREAU:

THE NEW $200-million field hospital, which was opened on the grounds of the Falmouth hospital in Trelawny in March, has been close temporarily to carry out repairs on minor defects that have been found.

“There are some minor defects which need to be attended to,” said businessman Kenneth Grant, chairman of the hospital board. “In every new construction, there is a period where the contractor has to ensure that all is well.

“We couldn’t keep the people in there (the ward) while the defects are remedied, hence the closure,” added Grant.

The defects are being rectified by Rodgers Construction, the company that undertook the construction of the facility, which is slated to become a part of the Type C hospital, once the COVID-19 pandemic is no longer an issue.

In explaining the defects that have been discovered since the ward became operational, Richard Rodgers, the top man in the construction company, said the issues mainly surround water pipes and air conditioning units.

“We had some pipes leaking and there are some problems with the floor and the air conditioning,” explained Rodgers. “These are being fixed as we speak and the building should be ready by the end of the week.”

Dr Leighton Perrins, chief executive officer at the hospital, which is being positioned to be upgraded to a Type B facility, said the temporary closure of the ward is not a major issue at this time as the hospital is currently seeing a drastic drop in COVID-19 cases.

“We have six isolation beds and four patients, so things are not bad at this time,” said Perrins, in explaining the current situation with COVID-19 cases at the hospital.

While Jamaica is still not out of the woods insofar as the presence of COVID-19 cases are concerned, Grant is looking forward to the end of the pandemic when the 36-bed field hospital will officially become a part of strengthening the case for the upgrade of the facility.

Since 2017 when noxious fumes issue forced the scaling down of operations at the Cornwall Regional Hospital in Montego Bay, the Falmouth hospital has emerged as the leading hospital in western Jamaica, taking on extra responsibilities.