The British Virgin Islands Health Services Authority’s (BVIHSA) Emergency Management Team is working overtime to prepare the Territory’s main health care service provider for any unforeseen disaster. This preparation is especially urgent, considering the Atlantic hurricane season commenced this month. Therefore, the BVIHSA is pleased to announce that a main feature of its disaster preparedness plan – the Field Hospital arrived in the Territory on May 23, 2022. Training on the rollout and other aspects of this temporary hospital commenced on 14 June.
The importance of field hospitals was recognized during the heightened phase of the Territory’s COVID-19 pandemic response. Efforts were made to ensure that the BVI Health Services Authority always has the option to create a secondary service area, should the need ever arise.
The arrival and training of the staff to manage the field hospital is a vital part of the BVIHSA’s service continuity plan. This week’s training and the importance of the field hospital was emphasized by Ag. Chief Executive Officer Dr. June Samuel.
The Acting CEO said that the field hospital arrived at the right time “This is timely, especially considering that June 1st marked the official start of the 2022 hurricane season, and for Caribbean territories like the Virgin Islands, this is one of the busiest times of the year,” she pointed out Dr. Samuel further stated that; “Weather forecasters have advised that we should expect an above-average level of hurricane activity, as such, Emergency Management Agencies have urged those living in hurricane zones to prepare now, well before a storm comes; and the BVIHSA is doing just that.”
The 2017 hurricanes and the COVID-19 pandemic revealed that the health system cannot always count on the existing capacity to support response efforts. Consequently, the Board of the BVIHSA in collaboration with the Ministry of Health decided that the best way forward is to put emergency management systems in place and invest in emergency preparedness equipment and structures.
The new Field Hospital is a 40 Bed facility; that is furnished with four general wards, pharmacy/ laboratory capacity, admission triage, generator/electrical distribution panel, air-condition, water storage capacity among other necessary self-sustaining supplies.
In the eventuality of another surge of the COVID 19/Coronavirus, an outbreak of any other contagion, or any occurrence that causes a mass casualty overflow; this Field Hospital will be deployed. Once deployed the field hospital will be adequately equipped to serve as a negative pressure isolation or general wards. In either capacity, it will be fitted with Hygiene Centers within two of its four general wards.
In an effort to accommodate the field hospital training services being offered by the Manufacturer’s technicians that are presently on the ground, the BVIHSA will restrict public parking at our main parking lot.
This measure of restricted access to the parking lot is to ensure that the BVIHSA’s Infrastructure team can benefit tremendously from the various training exercises that are scheduled to take place from 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday 14 June through to Thursday 16 June in the main parking lot at the Dr. D. Orlando Smith Hospital. Therefore, persons visiting the Dr. D. Orlando Smith hospital will only be allowed to drop off and pick up guests. It is anticipated that parking will resume on Friday 17 June. The BVIHSA would like to apologize for any inconvenience this temporary closure of the parking lot may cause.