With the Mobile Medical Pavilion (MMP) and the ICU Hospitainer, both located across St. Maarten Medical Center at the basketball and tennis courts at Raoul Illidge Sport Complex, now fully operational, the next phase is to start preparing the transfer of COVID care to this area outside SMMC in order for the hospital to allow regular care and consultations to resume once the conditions of the lockdown allow for this to take place.
“Last month, SMMC ceased elective medical procedures and consultations as part of the preventative measures SMMC’s Outbreak Management Team (OMT) implemented in order to limit the possible exposure to the virus. The phase we are entering now is to look at how we can gradually start back the regular operations of the hospital once the conditions of the lockdown allow for such”, SMMC’s Medical Director and Chairman of the OMT, Dr. Felix Holiday explained.
“The first step is to transfer COVID care to the MMP and ICU Hospitainer which are both located outside SMMC so we keep the COVID treatment area contained to one particular zone which simultaneously makes it possible for SMMC to resume regular operations again soon afterwards, when the lockdown allows for this”, Dr. Holiday stated.
“The MMP has 7 double patient rooms which will be used for medium care, for example for COVID suspected or confirmed cases that require only regular oxygenation (non-invasive care) and for triage purposes for anyone displaying flu like symptoms. The Hospitainer has 6 ICU beds - each equipped with its own ventilator - to provide critical COVID care for which the Aspen Medical Team from the USA, presently on St. Maarten, will primarily assist us with”, Dr. Holiday concluded.
With St. Maarten currently still registering positive COVID cases and the estimate of many, unregistered COVID cases in the community, SMMC reminds the general public to register at CPS if you or someone you know displays symptoms (fever, cough, tiredness, shortness of breath) and follow the general advice of social distancing and self-isolation.