Steward Health Care acquires 10 ventilators for Gozo General Hospital

Steward Health Care Malta has acquired 10 ventilators as Gozo Hospital continues to strengthen its preparedness for COVID-19

Gozo General Hospital has 10 new ventilators as it strengthens its capacity to deal with COVID-19 cases
Gozo General Hospital has 10 new ventilators as it strengthens its capacity to deal with COVID-19 cases

Gozo General Hospital has 10 new ventilators as it continues strengthening its preparedness to deal with the coronavirus, Steward Health Care said.

The private company running the hospital said it acquired the ventilators from GE through the assistance of the Steward US supply chain.

The ventilators will strengthen the hospital’s ITU bed facilities.

Steward said that since ventilators from GE were already in use at the hospital, all ITU nurses are trained to use these machines.

“Nurses, who do not usually work at ITU, have received basic training over the last weeks in order to support ITU nurses, when and if required,” the company said.

The first phase of the ITU expansion from six to 16 beds, all with ventilators, is now complete, Steward added.

The company said that two dialysis machines for the treatment of ITU patients were delivered in the last weeks and the staff is already trained.

Steward Malta has put on order a further 10 GE ventilators, which are expected to arrive in summer. These will be complimented by another five Philips’ V60+ ventilators which are due to be delivered in the coming weeks.

Gozo General Hospital will have a total of 25 intensive care beds with ventilators to deal with COVID-19 patients over the coming weeks
Gozo General Hospital will have a total of 25 intensive care beds with ventilators to deal with COVID-19 patients over the coming weeks

“This would result in a net capacity of 25 ITU beds dedicated to COVID-19 patients which would be one of the highest per capita ratios worldwide in addition to six in use for non-COVID patients,” the company said.

No Coronavirus positive patients have been recorded over the last seven days at Gozo hospital and all patients being admitted are being tested for COVID-19 and grouped in the Infectious Disease Unit until the results are confirmed.

Steward said no staff members have tested positive for COVID-19 and all employees who were in quarantine have reported back to duty.