As the five-year-old Nurse Iris O’Neal Medical Centre on Virgin Gorda continues to struggle with infrastructure problems, a temporary “field hospital” is being deployed on its grounds to deal with urgent matters — and many of its other services have been moved elsewhere, officials said last week with one day’s notice.
“Effective Friday until further notice, allied health services and wound care have been temporarily relocated to the North Sound Clinic,” the BVI Health Services Authority announced last Thursday.
The North Sound Clinic will offer the services from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday by appointment only.
“To maintain uninterrupted care on Virgin Gorda, the BVIHSA will be deploying a field hospital on the grounds of the Nurse Iris O’Neal Medical Centre to continue providing urgent care services,” the BVIHSA stated in a press release. “The field hospital is a temporary structure that will support ongoing clinical operations while necessary repairs are completed.”
The agency added that rehabilitation efforts are under way to resolve the infrastructure problems and restore full operations “as soon as possible.”
However, no target date was provided, and officials did not provide details about the infrastructure problems or the work required to fix them.
Urgent care
In the press release, the BVIHSA explained that urgent care is for illnesses and injuries that are not life-threatening but require prompt treatment within about 24 hours. Common examples include fevers, sprains, minor cuts, flu symptoms and infections.
“In the event of a major or life-threatening emergency, such as chest pain, severe bleeding or difficulty breathing, patients should immediately call the ambulance service at 284-340-2045,” the agency added. “The BVIHSA’s medical team will provide rapid response, onsite assessment, and stabilisation at the Nurse Iris O’Neal Medical Centre prior to transfer to the Dr. D. Orlando Smith Hospital on Tortola if further critical care is required.”
Previous issues
The clinic has faced many problems since it opened in February 2020 after years of delays.
Its second floor was never made operational, and it was among the facilities highlighted in a scathing 2023 report on healthcare in the sister islands. That report, by the Sister Islands Unit, urged the government to staff both clinics on Virgin Gorda with a doctor 24 hours a day.
In August 2024, however, that recommendation didn’t help Revovion “Bucky” Sprauve, who died after arriving at the clinic only to find it closed.
Amid the resulting outrage, an “ad hoc committee” of Virgin Gorda residents formed to push for better healthcare on the sister island.
About 100 people subsequently attended a September 2024 community meeting with health officials, who promised to ensure that the clinic was staffed around the clock, along with other measures.
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