According to the Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. Christopher Tufton, the number of ventilators on the island will triple to triple, given the number of donations from private entities over the past few weeks.

“We have been getting some additional ventilators over the last few weeks, and the aim, ultimately, by next month (May) is to have between 90 and 100 ventilators in the public health system,” Dr. Tufton said.

“The public health system up to COVID-19 had about 25 to 30 ventilators, so we are literally tripling the number of ventilators. They will be deployed across the country in the relevant hospitals as we prepare the COVID wards across the system, and that is to deal with more serious patients who require hospital care and [have] a high-dependency on intensive care unit care,” he added.

Among the organizations that have donated ventilators to the Ministry is the European Union (EU), which recently gave 29 respirators, valued at €1 million (approximately J$149 million).

The Ministry was also the recipient of donations of N95 masks, protective shields, and gloves.

Dr. Tufton also said the Ministry has been procuring and storing several personal protective gear in anticipation of an “expanded need or usage in our public health system.”

Additionally, the Chinese community has donated 30 handheld thermal scanners to the Ministry.

Dr. Tufton expressed gratitude to the community as well as other organizations in western Jamaica that have been providing support to the Ministry in the fight against COVID-19.

He also commended the Sandals Resorts International Group for allowing the Government to use the Sandals Inn property in Montego Bay as a quarantine facility considering COVID-19

Nigel Bell, Readers Bureau, Fellow

Edited by Jesus Chan

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