Field hospital helps Noel Holmes serve Hanover

Western Bureau

With Hurricane Melissa leaving severe damage to Noel Holmes Hospital in Lucea, Hanover, a collaborative effort between hospital staff, Project HOPE and the SAMU corporation has established a functioning field hospital to help meet the facility’s mandate.

Chief Executive Officer Princess Weddeburn explained the need for the partnership.

“The fact that we (at the Noel Holmes Hospital) were greatly impacted by Hurricane Melissa, most of our ward spaces got infrastructural damage, roof mainly, and we needed that support, because our spaces were reduced,” she told The Gleaner.

Wedderburn noted that Noel Holmes is a 60-bed facility, and the reduction in available beds was a major concern, especially as demand for services increased during and after the storm. “People are always sick, people always need to come to the hospital, and they need to be served, and we can’t close our doors like some other agencies,” she said.

The field hospital, set up on the grounds of Noel Holmes Hospital in Hanover one week after the hurricane, is a joint effort by hospital staff, Project HOPE of Washington, DC, and Spain’s SAMU corporation.

Senior Medical Officer Dr Patrice Monthrope welcomed the facility and praised staff who worked through the hurricane despite personal losses.

“What this field hospital and collaborative effort has allowed us to do is to free up some space here in the Noel Holmes, as we had reduced capacity after the hurricane because of damage done,” Monthrope told The Gleaner.

“So now we could focus our resources, human and physical, on managing our inpatients and maternity patients, the numbers of whom were increasing.”

She added that Project HOPE and SAMU’s other field hospitals across Jamaica have eased patient transfers.

“As a type C facility, we rely heavily on the transfer of patients, because we do not have all of the resources here (at Noel Holmes),” she said.

“They have helped us (at Noel Holmes) to provide continued service throughout this difficult time despite the challenges.”

Andres Rodriquez Holst, director of international emergencies with SAMU and team leader at the field hospital, said the unit comprises about 22 staff, including doctors, nurses, emergency specialists, paediatricians, paramedics, logisticians and ICU nurses.

He said funding is in place for three months, with possible extension if more support is secured. He explained that under World Health Organization standards, there are three types of field hospitals.

“We are a type one fixed facility, we have to prove that we are self-sufficient, which means that we have the capacity to deploy, to keep our staff up-to-date with training, their credentials and certifications intact with the relevant licensing boards,” he said.

The facility must also be self-sufficient in water sanitation, waste management, electricity, lighting, shelter, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment.

Meanwhile, Monthrope urged Hanover residents to protect their health.

“It’s a difficult time for everyone,” he said.

“Be careful about infectious diseases, your drinking water, mosquitoes, motorcyclists make sure you wear your helmets, because even though we (at Noel Holmes Hospital) are at capacity right now, you want to avoid being sick, as we do not want to overburden the system right now.”

editorial@gleanerjm.com