Jamica’s National Arena to be used as COVID 19 field hospital

(Jamaica Observer) The National Arena is to become a field hospital to house persons with mild cases of COVID-19, Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton announced yesterday.

Cabinet has approved the makeshift hospital, which is to be completed over the next two to three weeks, and will cost the country $180 million, inclusive of protective gear for medical personnel.

The move is in line with a recommendation made by former chief medical officer, and the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) candidate for St Catherine East Central Dr Winston De La Haye, last week.

He had urged that the Government move urgently to set up field hospitals, and suggested that the National Arena could be retrofitted to house individuals who are recovering from the virus, but who no longer need to be in a medical facility. He said the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) should be charged with working out the logistics for the undertaking.

At a digital press conference yesterday, the health minister informed that the initiative was being taken in partnership with the Ministry of Sports, and would be spearheaded by the army. The facility will cater to 130 people.

The Government had said it was negotiating with hoteliers for 600 rooms for recuperating patients amidst the growing health crisis, an initiative which the Opposition said was not appropriate for such patients.

In the meantime, the Ministry of Health and Wellness has promised to investigate a claim by Opposition Spokesperson on Health Dr Morais Guy that the May Pen Hospital has violated the Government’s COVID-19 treatment guidelines by using the drug Hydroxychloroquine to treat treatment for patients with the novel coronavirus.

Dr Guy, speaking at Tuesday’s first digital meeting of the special select committee of Parliament on COVID-19, had questioned whether the Government had decided on the use of the drug, which is used to treat lupus and other autoimmune diseases by health care providers for the new coronavirus.

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Source: CARICOM TODAY