Major renovation is continuing on the former Ocean View Hotel which has been designated as one of the facilities to treat and quarantine patients diagnosed with the coronavirus as authorities here brace for a surge in cases.
The building will be remodelled to house an Intensive Care Unit (ICU), a High Dependency Unit (HDU), an operating theatre and a ward set up for patients who are quarantined. Yesterday when this newspaper visited, men were busy at work fixing the roof of the building. Manager attached to International Imports and Supplies, Roshan Rampersaud explained where the various departments will be located.
According to the man, the ICU will be housed on the ground floor of the building while the HDU will be located on the first floor and patients would be quarantined on the second. The operating theatre he noted, will be constructed on the left side of the building.
It was said by Rampersaud that work on the building has been undertaken by the International Imports and Supplies Company along with Ivor Allen Contracting Services. The hospital he further said will contain three hundred beds and will have ventilators installed in the various wards.
When asked what measures have been put in place to prevent sea water from getting into the building as the hotel had been affected by overtopping in the past resulting in significant damage, Rampersaud said that a concrete fence along with proper drainage will be constructed to avoid any similar occurrences.
As regards the size of the contract for the construction being done, Rampersaud said he did not know while owner of the building, Jacob Rambarran when contacted said he wished not to make any comments.
Renovations are expected to be completed within four to six weeks. Works on the building began on April 6th.
Questions have been raised about the wisdom of using a building such as this for the dedicated COVID-19 hospital given its poor state. Questions have also been asked as to why the terms of the financial arrangement had not been made public and why other buildings or hospitals were not considered.
Early in its life, the APNU+AFC government had attracted strong criticism for its renting of a bond from a supporter of one of its constituents.
