Emergency hospital established in Black River

An Emergency Field Hospital has been deployed at the Black River High School in St Elizabeth to provide extensive medical services and support to the local healthcare infrastructure in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa.

The hospital was established by the Samaritan's Purse International Relief, which is an evangelical Christian humanitarian organisation. The hospital is staffed with more than 60 people, including experienced members of the organisation's Disaster Assistance Response Team and is designed to replicate the capabilities of the Black River Hospital in the parish, which was devastated by the hurricane.

During a tour of the facility, Dr Kelly Sites, medical director at the Emergency Field Hospital in Jamaica, said that the temporary unit is self-sustaining, complete with its own power generators and is capable of handling a wide range of medical needs.

"We pretty much can replicate what the Black River Hospital is able to do. We can see all chronic and emergent situations. We have a general surgeon [and] orthopaedic surgeon, so any kind of surgeries that come in through the door," Sites said.

She noted that the field hospital has: a triage department, emergency rooms with eight beds; an intensive care unit with two-ventilator capacity; a step-down unit with four beds; an operating room with a full staff; an obstetrics facility; two patient wards for men and women that hold 12 beds each; as well as a full laboratory and pharmacy. Family-practice physicians are also on site to handle chronic diseases like blood pressure problems, sickle cell and diabetes. Sites pointed out that the field hospital is collaborating with local facilities and is utilising the local ground and air ambulance services to transport patients to Kingston when necessary.

In addition to the field hospital, the team from Samaritan's Purse International Relief is giving assistance in other areas.

"We're thrilled to be moving all throughout the island doing NFIs, which were non-food items, shelter, tarp, water, and sanitation needs like that, and also the medical," Sites said. She told members of the media that the team is expected to be in Jamaica for at least the next month but intends to stay "as long as we're needed".

"We don't want to ever overstay our welcome, but we definitely don't want to leave too early when staff still need us. So, that's to be determined," she said.