DHS explains KHMH Isolation Unit surge.

With the number of deaths and positive cases climbing so fast, the COVID 19 isolation unit of the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital has maxed out. On Saturday, the K.H.M.H. issued a press release saying the Unit was at capacity and so the facility’s COVID-19 Surge Plan was activated. This, according to the release, meant that the Alternate Emergency Area situated at the Specialist Outpatient Clinic was open to accept COVID-19 patients who needed to be hospitalized. D.H.S. Marvin Manzanero explains why the backup plan was triggered.

Dr. Marvin Manzanero, Director of Health Services

Dr. Marvin Manzanero

“The Karl Huesner situation, as far as I know today, they have two ventilated patients. They do have sixteen ventilators that they can use. The reason why the COVID containment area was a little bit unclear in what went out as a press release on Saturday is because they have five adult and one pediatric ventilator for the COVID containment unit. So, two three weeks ago when you asked us how many ventilators the Karl Huesner has, we said right now it is six. We had no ventilated patients back then. Once you start getting your first ventilated patients then another six ventilators were taken from here to the Karl Huesner; Karl Huesner had another four and that adds up to the sixteen. So, what it does is that once you have your containment area full – of course now you only have two – but you had four on the weekend and then you had seven or eight awaiting results or confirmed for COVID-19. And that is when we spread out to the assigned area and the reason why A&E was highlighted is because the flow of A&E patient would be through a different route.  You move along contingent on the patient that you have. So, they do have sixteen ventilators and people are asking if they are functional – do they work? Well, they are functional.”