The U.S. Southern Command donated a field hospital capable of housing up to 70 patients to Jamaica to support the island’s COVID-19 response, officials said.
The $753,000 hospital was funded by SOUTHCOM’s Humanitarian Assistance Program, an ongoing operation to assist nations in the Caribbean, Central America and South America to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The modular clinic can operate autonomously and includes a high-efficiency particulate air and ultraviolet light air scrubber system, along with two diesel generators and eight air conditioning units. Medical teams will be able to configure the field hospital to isolate patients and conduct surgical operations, officials said.
An Air Force C-17 Globemaster III flew the large mobile hospital last week to Kingston, Jamaica, from Joint Base Charleston in South Carolina. It is expected to be set up by Tuesday. A team civilian trainers will instruct Jamaican medial and support staff on how to run the mobile hospital, officials said.
SOUTHCOM also donated $86,000 worth of patient beds and handheld thermometers. The U.S. government has provided Jamaica with $2 million in foreign assistance funding overall to combat COVID-19. The command is expected to eventually donate 24 field hospitals to 11 countries in the region, officials said.
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.
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