BELIZE CITY, Fri. Sept. 3, 2021– Yesterday, the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH) entered the third phase of its emergency mode following a spike of Covid-19 cases in Belize City.

“Please be informed that Phase 3 of our Covid-19 response plan has been activated effectively today, 2nd September 2021. This phase 3 means that it is necessary for additional space to be activated inside the facility for the management of critical patients that have been diagnosed with Covid-19,” a release from the hospital states.

The hospital has moved its emergency services to the Specialist Clinic, which is still accessible through the Triage shed. The facilities for observation and asthma treatment have been relocated to the old pediatric ward, and patient care for persons with Covid-19 or persons who are under investigation for possible Covid-19 infection will continue at the Accident and Emergency Unit.

Visitation is still restricted, and elective surgeries are being done on a priority basis only. Also, the outpatient clinic is operating on an appointments-only basis.

According to recent data from the Ministry of Health and Wellness, on Friday, 32 persons were hospitalized, with 6 of those persons needing intensive care.

This morning, the Chairman of the KHMH, Dr. Andre Sosa, said that patients battling Covid-19 at this time have to be in different rooms, making it harder to administer centralized treatment of those patients.

As of this morning, Monday, September 6, 18 patients were in the Covid-19 ward, according to Dr. Sosa, and 9 of them are in a critical condition.

He said that critically ill Covid-19 patients typically require one-to-one care, but with only three nurses working in the ward last night, for example, it has been difficult to provide adequate care.