Officials at the Dominica China Friendship Hospital (DCFH) have revealed that 10 more ventilators will arrive in the country soon to be used with the existing four at the hospital. These ventilators will increase the number of machines needed by patients suffering from critical cases of Coronavirus to be treated at the hospital. This fact was revealed by Dr. Ruby Blanc, the medical director at DCFH.
Dr. Blanc further noted that patients with severe cases of the disease are being treated at the DCFH while others are undergoing treatment at St. James in Portsmouth. The two isolation units have been serving the island well in view of the 11 confirmed cases and others that might occur. She added that those at St. James are responding well to treatment and they are being closely monitored for any health deterioration.
“Most of the management of the patients in St James is in the form of monitoring to detect any deterioration,” Dr. Blanc said. “I am pleased to announce that the patients at St. James are stable and continue to be monitored closely.”
According to the medical director, the patients at DCFH are critical cases that require support therapy for clinical respiratory complications. She said these might be placed on ventilators if need be but that no one is on ventilators at the moment. She revealed that a team of Dominican and Cuban doctors as well as health specialists under the Cuban Technical Assistance Programme are already working to bring the situation under control at DCFH and St. James in Portsmouth.
Acting Chief Medical Officer at the DCFH, Dr. Curvin Ferreira, disclosed that the ICU at the hospital has been enlarged to accommodate the 10 ventilators that are billed to arrive next week, and this will bring the total number of ventilators at the hospital to 14. He added that eight isolation rooms have been kept apart for coronavirus patients and that only COVID-19 cases, laboratory services, as well as oncology services will be attended to at the hospital at this time.
“Stay at home and observe safe distancing. Wash our hands thoroughly and be mindful,” he advised. “When you are being negligent and aware that you are infected with it, going out in villages spreading the virus, you are causing harm to other individuals.”
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