Infectious Diseases Hospital for August opening
The Infectious Diseases Hospital
The Infectious Diseases Hospital formerly known as the Ocean View Hotel at Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara is expected to be commissioned before the end of August.
The hotel’s dining room now converted to an ICU Ward
This is according to the accounting officer at the Ministry of Public Health, Permanent Secretary Paulette Adams. Adams on Monday led a team inclusive of her deputy Shellon Bess, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Shamdeo Persaud, head of Regional Health Services Dr. Kay Shako, and a number of engineers to the facility where they inspected the progress of work. PS Adams said that she is comfortable that the Government of Guyana and tax papers will be receiving value for money.
Chief Medical Officer Dr. Shamdeo Persaud said that the facility represents the centralizing as far as possible, all the care that is being offered with regards to the coronavirus which falls under three categories. He listed those categories as those who are infected, those suffering from signs and symptoms, and those who need to be isolated while awaiting results.
PSs’ Adams and Bess listen as Engineers make a point
According to Dr. Persaud, the Public Health Ministry is looking to as far as applicable, comply with all guidelines in accordance with international standards that speak to the control of infectious diseases. Those achievements he noted, are being supported by the work engineers are engaged in so as to ensure that the protection of those who are housed there and as well those who will be assigned to work at the facility.
On Monday Dr. Shamdeo Persaud explained that at other health facilities across the country, there are provisions to ensure isolation of persons who have infectious diseases but upon examining those facilities after COVID-19 came, the Ministry of Public Health found that many of those facilities were not able to adequately handle highly infectious conditions.
The operating Theater at the hospital
The facility at the Liliendaal is equipped with a kitchen area, laundry department, and waste management facility, the necessary areas for gases including oxygen, laboratories, elevators, intensive care unit, and a treatment room among others.
The facility is expected to accommodate close to three hundred admitted patients. Dr. Persaud said the facility is also likely to see patients from other regions being housed at the facility once Covid-19 has passed. The Hospital will also be equipped with specialists in the person of nurses and doctors who are more able to effectively deal with infectious diseases.
Health officers and contractors inspect a bed in the treatment room
Contractors noted that the facility was modified to accommodate the patients and address the needs of the Government of Guyana who wanted a full fledge hospital so many modifications had to be made.
The facility also did incur costs overruns which according to the engineers were due to their inability to readily source some materials which were not present in Guyana at the time but were required based on the specifications of the contract.
