Earlier today (Friday, April 17, 2020) at Pointe-a-Pierre representatives from Trinidad Petroleum Holdings Limited (TPHL) and its subsidiary companies handed over the operations of the Augustus Long Hospital and Hostel to the Ministry of Health.
Present at the handover and tour of the facilities were TPHL Chairman, Michael Quamina; CEO Heritage Petroleum Company Limited, Arlene Chow; Principal Medical Officer, Ministry of Health Dr Maryam Abdool-Richards, and CEO SWRHA Dr Brian Armour.
Approximately one month ago, TPHL responded to the Ministry of Health’s request to utilize the Augustus Long Hospital and its facilities to support the national response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. TPHL assigned its best facilities and project teams to the job to ensure that the infrastructure of the hospital and hostel was refurbished to the required clinical standards. The project team comprised of employees from TPHL and its subsidiary companies guided by the Ministry of Health.
TPHL Chairman, Michael Quamina stated “This was a yeoman effort by our employees and contractors working through the nation-wide restrictions to ensure that we support the Government in caring for the people of Trinidad and Tobago in this global crisis. This facility ensures that health workers on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic in Trinidad and Tobago will have access to another hospital with additional medical resources to save lives in the fight against this dangerous virus. It is important that all of us continue to contribute to this national effort.”
Upgrade works conducted at the Augustus Long Hospital included increasing the capacity to up to sixty (60) patient beds. The upper floor has been retrofitted with a High Dependency Unit (HDU)/Intensive Care Unit (ICU) equipped with ventilator machines and monitors. The ground- floor, where patients will be received has been outfitted to receive ambulances and will cater for ambulatory patients.
The Hostel which will accommodate the healthcare workers was renovated by the kind donations from several contractors from South Trinidad led by the Kenson Group of Companies and included GML Contractors Limited, Sonriz Engineering Services Limited, Laing Group, Tiger Tanks Trinidad, Paramount Transport and Trading Company Limited. Other sponsor contractors included Oilfield and Industrial Hardware Limited, LMCS Limited, TFESL and CDAKS Limited working along with the Paria Fuel Trading Company Limited General Manager, Mushtaq Mohammed and the TPHL facilities team.
Several other companies including, Peake Technologies, Massy Stores, Unicomer (Trinidad), DeNOVO and Furniture Plus have donated furnishings to make the space comfortable for our tireless healthcare providers.
On behalf of Ministry of Health PMO, Dr Maryam Abdool-Richards stated “We are grateful for the leadership and commitment reflected by TPHL and its subsidiary companies, employees, and contractors and donors. The refurbishment of this hospital and hostel will serve as an additional health facility in our national parallel health care system for the COVID-19 response. The ALH now adds approximately 60 beds to boost our readiness. This collaboration is an excellent, model which demonstrates how we can collectively work together to respond to this historic threat as a nation.”