Qatari field hospital to be set up at Liliendaal
The field hospital that was recently donated to Guyana is now expected to be set up in the compound of the Centre for Infectious Disease at Liliendaal instead of the West Demerara Regional Hospital as was previously announced.
The change in location was announced by the Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony during Wednesday’s COVID-19 update during which he stated that following careful consideration, a decision was made to have the hospital set up at the Ocean View facility’s compound instead of at West Demerara.
On Monday he had said that the hospital would be set up in the compound of the West Demerara Regional Hospital. During Wednesday’s update he added that initially they had earmarked that compound after assessments were done and spaces were identified.
“Upon closer analysis on the amount of personnel we have there to run the facility it would be a challenge both in terms of nursing personnel and in terms of doctors” he said. Subsequently he added that a decision was then made to have the field hospital set up in the compound of the Ocean View facility as there is adequate staffing capacity there to manage both.
“So what we have decided because we already have a lot of capacity in terms of personnel at Ocean View that we think it might be more appropriate for us to set it up in the compound of the Ocean View facility and it would complement what we are doing at Ocean View,” the minister explained. To this end, he mentioned that the diagnostic infrastructure at the Centre for Infectious Disease has already been set up and that will complement the field hospital
“So we would be shifting the location to Ocean View”, Anthony informed.
He noted that the field hospital will boost capacity to manage critically ill patients and almost double ICU capacity as it brings 20 additional beds for ICU care.
Meanwhile the minister said during the update that the technical teams here will be setting up the hospital and will receive guidance and instructions from the Qatari officials.