Rural Field Hospital A Possibility

With an increase in cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in some parishes, the Government is looking at establishing a rural field hospital.

Chief Medical Officer, Ministry of Health and Wellness, Dr. Jacquiline Bisasor McKenzie, gave an update during a digital press conference at the Ministry in New Kingston, on Tuesday (April 7).

“At this time, we are using our present projections and we have now finalised plans for one field hospital [in Kingston]. As time goes by, we are evaluating to see what further may need to be done,” Dr. Bisasor McKenzie said.

“As time goes by, things are changing, so that (rural field hospital) may very well be on the desk soon,” she added.

With regard to a breakdown of COVID-19 cases per parish in Jamaica to date, Kingston and St. Andrew has 18 confirmed cases; Clarendon, 14 confirmed cases; Manchester, six confirmed cases; St. Ann, six confirmed cases; Portland, five confirmed cases; St. James, four confirmed cases; St. Catherine, four confirmed cases; St. Elizabeth, three confirmed cases; Westmoreland, two confirmed cases; and St. Mary, one confirmed case. There are no confirmed cases in St. Thomas, Trelawny and Hanover.

Thirty-four of the confirmed cases are males and 29 are females. Ten persons have recovered, while three persons have died from the virus.

SOURCE: JIS