A parallel health facility has been properly established in Tobago to aid in the fight against COVID-19 on the island.
In giving an update at the THA COVID-19 press conference Tuesday, Medical Chief of Staff at the Scarborough General Hospital Dr Victor Wheeler made the announcement.
He said, when Tobago recorded its first case of COVID-19 in March of this year, parts of the Scarborough General Hospital at Signal Hill were used to treat patients, but this did not sit well with Tobagonians inclusive of medical staff. Many called for the old Scarborough Regional Hospital at Fort King George to be used to isolate, quarantine and treat COVID positive patients. The idea has finally been brought to fruition.
Dr Wheeler said, COVID positive patients now have their own facility.
"We have now been able to totally separate the COVID Treatment Center to up on the Fort and at the hospital at Signal Hill, we are able to provide the care to all those non-COVID related persons. The only thing that still continues at Signal Hill related to COVID is the COVID ICU, which I must stress is a separate building, which has no direct communication to the rest of the hospital" he said
The four refurbished areas at the old Scarborough Regional Hospital at Fort King George are the old Maternity, Geriatric, Surgical and Psychiatric wards. Dr Wheeler said, the COVID treatment centre is similar to a medical ward and would facilitate many services
"The services that are provided at the COVID Treatment Center at the Fort includes services similar to what you would find on a medical ward. We can provide lab tests, X-rays, oxygen, intravenous fluids and we have adequate monitoring of those patients, so it's essentially the capability of a Medical Ward up at the fort" he said
To date, 53 persons have tested positive for COVID-19 in Tobago. There are 12 active cases. Nine patients are being treated at the COVID Treatment facility, one person is in the ICU, while two persons are said to be en route, 41 persons were discharged.
Tobago has only recorded one death.