Hospital readies for another hurricane season, repairing damage from 2017 disasters

Repairs to Peebles Hospital are now underway in preparation for the 2019 hurricane season which starts in June.

The repairs being done are for damage caused to the Road Town-based facility during the natural disasters of 2017.

CEO of the BVI Health Services Authority (BVIHSA) Dr Ronald Georges told BVI News that the roof and a number of windows on all sides of the hospital had sustained damage.

“Most of the windows that are damaged are mostly cracked, and very, very few had complete penetration,” he said. “But, even the cracked windows you cannot leave. It has to be replaced because they are not going to function as designed. And if there is another impact, they wouldn’t be able to withstand those.”

The roof of the hospital is also to undergo repairs, Dr Georges said.

“After the storm, there was damage and water intrusion, but temporary patches were put to make the building water-tight again. But it’s not like a roof where you can take off one or two galvanise sheets. It is a system that has to be performed in a certain way in the event of a hurricane or natural disaster,” he explained.

A team from the United States is re-installing the windows of the medical facility while repairs to the roof is being undertaken by the locally-owned James Todman Construction.

The project is expected to last for several weeks.

The cost of the project is unknown. Dr Georges, however, said the repairs are being funded by a settlement from Colonial Insurance.

Peebles Hospital is the main medical facility in the territory.