The first of three portable operating room (OR) trailers arrived on Friday, April 13, at the Gov. Juan F. Luis Hospital and Medical Center (JFL). The mobile medical unit trailer is courtesy of the North Carolina Office of Emergency Medical Services’ State Medical Response Team, and it will serve as the operating rooms for JFL’s surgical procedures because the hospital’s OR sustained heavy damages during Hurricane Maria.
The trailer houses two surgical suites. A setup team from North Carolina’s EMS office arrived on Tuesday to begin preparing the site to receive the trailer. “I am very excited that we finally have our OR trailers on island, and I can’t wait to start serving our community,” said JFL CEO Wanda Ruben.
On Friday, the N.C. team worked on stabilizing and leveling up the OR trailer. Two other portable operating room trailers from New Jersey will be attached to the N.C. unit and are already in the territory. Those additional units will be setup at JFL once the New Jersey team arrives next week.
JFL’s management team is also working to procure two hemodialysis mobile units that will provide a total of 12 chairs. Once those trailers arrive in the territory, JFL will work in conjunction with the V.I. Department of Health to start bringing hemodialysis patients back home to the Virgin Islands. The portable ORs are not yet operational for patients.
