TCI: 20 Bed Inflatable Hospital, Newest tool in Ministry of Health arsenal

#TurksandCaicos, May 19, 2021 – When the sustained 185 mile per hour winds of Hurricane Irma lashed the Turks and Caicos Islands on September 7 in 2017, it not only wrought the most damage on the archipelago of any hurricane in history with every island battered; it also crumbled vital public infrastructure, unsparingly destroying schools, churches, businesses, homes and clinics.

The unprecedented destruction in the Turks and Caicos Islands imprinted on mass casualty specialist, Charlene Higgs, who is the director of Health Disaster Education and Training.  It ignited her activism toward securing, for her country, an emergency hospital which would offer continuous medical care in an instant in the case of any future catastrophic event.

“This is a multi-function which can be used in the aftermath of disasters and emergencies to ensure continuous essential primary health care services. It can also be used as an advanced medical post in the incident of a mass casualty situation and as a surge capacity unit in the event of infectious disease, outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics like the one we are now, currently facing.  It is my vision to see one or a similar structure of this strategically positioned on each island in the Turks and Caicos Islands, said Mrs. Higgs in her opening remarks at the ceremony attended by government and health officials.  

On Friday May 14, around 17 days prior to the start of the 2021 Atlantic Hurricane Season the Ministry of Health, support by the Cabinet of the Turks and Caicos Islands unveiled and held a ribbon cutting sanctioning the country’s first ever field hospital at the Down Town Ball Park.

The 20 bed inflatable hospital was erected at the park in under 30-minutes with the support of the newly formed, TCI Regiment and though warm inside on this day; a tour exposed an air conditioning system which given a few hours would deliver on the cool comfort needed for medical staff and patients. 

 “This unit can be deployed with minimal support staff, it is designed and tested to withstand 60mph winds, resistant to fire, ultraviolent rays, chemicals and its powerful blowers inflate the structure in under three minutes,” said Charlene Higgs, Director of Health Disaster Education & Training.

The field hospital has a modular structure, which means other units can be attached, a hand-washing station which has its own tanks for water to be disposed and refilled and the doors’ width make access to the health facility, easy.

“This unit contains permanent LED lighting systems, powerful generators, it has also two very powerful Hemovac units; it also comes with cots, blankets, linens, hygiene kits, mobile dispensing box kits and medical supplies to accommodate up to 100 patients; this is a multi-function unit.”