Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit revealed that 15 ventilators and a dialysis machine are currently on their way to Dominica. The ventilators would be needed to help COVID-19 patients who suffer respiratory complications to breathe with ease; and the dialysis machine would help sick patients with kidney problems to live longer.
Skerrit said the country sourced for the ventilators from China and they should arrive in the next few weeks. He said the government turned down the battery-powered ventilators that were first offered Dominica, and had to source for those that use electricity since these would be more reliable in the face of challenges associated with coronavirus.
Given that ventilators have proven very helpful to COVID-19 patients around the world, the respiratory machines have become very scarce, and numerous nations are scrambling to have them for the treatment of coronavirus patients. There is hot demand for the respirator globally and some countries could only boast of one at the moment.
The prime minister said the COVID centre in Portsmouth will also be used for primary healthcare apart from coronavirus treatment and this is where the dialysis machine will be installed.
General Surgeon Dr. Sam Christian commended the government for the ventilators but wondered if they would be sufficient if there are risen cases of coronavirus on the island. There are currently 12 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Dominica, and the government is getting more proactive to contain the disease and prevent its spread across the island.
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