MARIGOT--Regional health agency ARS indicated on Sunday that it has increased its supply of beds and ventilators, and requested from the Health Ministry mobile reinforcements of beds, and reinforcement for managing evacuations from St. Martin or St. Barths.
The COVID-19 situation as of Sunday is three confirmed cases in St. Martin (one hospitalised and two confined to their homes). St. Barths has two confirmed cases. None of these patients are in intensive care at this time.
With regard to Guadeloupe, St. Martin and St. Barths ARS has reorganised its health care system in line with the evolving situation and in consultation with health professionals. Its current plan involves all private and public health establishments. Since last week, these institutions have de-programmed non-urgent surgical procedures in order to leave resuscitation beds free and to free up the anaesthesia capacity that could be used to support resuscitation.
There are 22 resuscitation beds at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) and five at Centre Hospitalier de la Basse-Terre (CHBT). In the last week, the number of beds that can be used immediately has been increased to 33 resuscitation beds. If there is a need to increase capacity, critical care beds equipped with ventilators can increase the resuscitation capacity to 50 beds for seriously ill patients, supplemented by 25 additional beds for lighter resuscitation.
Finally, ARS has asked the Ministry of Solidarity and Health’s crisis centre to consider mobile reinforcements of between five and 10 resuscitation beds if needed, as well as reinforcements for managing evacuations from the northern islands if necessary.
With regard to ventilators, ARS has taken an inventory of the equipment available throughout the country. To date, there are 30 standard resuscitation ventilators, 46 anaesthesia ventilators that could be used as reinforcements and 38 transport ventilators. After consultation with the country’s resuscitators, ARS expressed a need at the national crisis centre for 12 standard resuscitation ventilators and 10 additional transport ventilators.
In addition to the funds requested at the national level, ARS ordered six conventional resuscitation ventilators on the usual markets and financed two others which are in the process of being acquired by the CHU. This global reinforcement in respirators will make it possible to equip, if necessary, all the identified beds and the necessary medical transport.
ARS reminds the population to stay at home, drastically limit your movement and follow religiously the hygiene barrier measures. The containment measures recommended for the whole population are essential to limit the number of cases. People returning from travel are asked to remain strictly confined for 14 days after their arrival in the country. It is only by being vigilant and responsible that together we will be able to limit the number of cases and help health professionals.
The platform ARS/Insurance Maladie Riposte COVID-19 is operational and can be reached at (0590)99.14.74 (from 8:00am to 6:00pm seven days a week). A number of 189 calls were recorded to date with 50 received on Sunday.
The platform aims to: inform the population about the COVID-19 epidemic in a manner specific to our territory; reinforce the city-hospital coordination; offer a telemedicine solution to the health actors of Guadeloupe in order to better follow COVID-19 patients while reducing as much as possible the patient-caregiver contacts; announce negative results to the tested patients; and contribute to the spread of prevention messages to slow down this epidemic.
All information on the virus and the measures taken are available on the info COVID-19 website:
gouvernement.fr or at the number 0800.130.000.
ARS is asking health professionals (doctors, nurses) who wish to volunteer to strengthen health institutions and the platform to make themselves known on at:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
