There are plans to add seven more Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds at the covid19 facility at Fort King George in Scarborough.

Dr Victor Wheeler, Medical Chief of Staff, Scarborough General Hospital made the announcement at Thursday’s THA Division of Health, Wellness and Family Development’s virtual news conference.

Wheeler said the facility which formerly housed the Tobago Rehabilitation and Empowerment Centre (TREC) will be upgraded to provide intensive care for covid19 patients.

He said this will add "seven ICU beds to the capacity, with the five ICU beds at the covid19 facility at Signal Hill."

He said ventilators have been identified for the facility.

"I can't give an exact timeline for when TREC will be operational, but there are efforts under way.”

Wheeler was responding to a question on whether there were any plans of utilising space at the newly constructed Roxborough Hospital to assist in housing covid19 patients.

“We did have a team look at the Roxborough Hospital, however because of the distance from where most of the patients are being managed – which is up at the fort – it was found more feasible to expand ICU services at the fort than consider Roxborough at this time.”

He said spaces for covid19 patients are available.

“Even though we have five beds in the ICU, we also have three spaces in Accident and Emergency where patients who are covid19-positive can be observed and monitored.”

He said the ICU at the Scarborough General Hospital in Signal Hill can also be used as a high-dependency unit.

"Not all patients there would need to be ventilated – some are just closely monitored.”

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