CAY HILL--St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) made the first step to free up space at the medical facility over the weekend when the first COVID-19 patient was transferred to the mobile medical pavilion on Saturday, April 18.
Prime Minister (PM) and Chairperson of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Silveria Jacobs said in a national address on Monday evening that the patient had been transferred, following her visit to the medical pavilion with Head of Public Health Fenna Arnell.
The patient requires “Level four” care and will be given this form of care at the mobile medical pavilion before being discharged. The patient had been transferred from SMMC’s critical care and Jacobs said the patient is therefore improving.
The transfer of the patient, she said, helps to pave the way for SMMC to resume care for regular patients in need of critical care, as beds will be freed up. SMMC had postponed elective surgeries and non-urgent cases due to COVID-19, but with the expansion of intensive capacity outside SMMC, the institution is now in a position to better care for its regular patients, the PM said.
She also said that St. Maarten had received the first Intensive Care Unit Hospitainer (hospital container) from the Netherlands. The Hospitainer arrived in the country over the weekend and it will replace the Intensive Care Unit Tent. A second Hospitainer is expected to arrive in the country later this week. The Hospitainers were provided by the Dutch Ministry of Public Health, Welfare and Sport in the Netherlands.
Jacobs thanked the Dutch ministry for living up to its promise to provide the Hospitainer.
