The ageing infrastructure of Jersey’s General Hospital means it is not capable of supporting a full air-conditioning system, the Health Minister has said – but portable cooling units have been deployed throughout the site ahead of the latest heatwave.
With temperatures expected to reach as high as 34°C this week, the Health Department said portable air-conditioning units have now been installed wherever they can be used to help improve conditions for patients and staff.
Senator Tom Binet said that “it is well known that the design and general infrastructure of the aged hospital buildings are not conducive to the installation of a full air conditioning system”.
“That said, portable AC units have been deployed wherever it has been possible for them to be utilised,” he said, adding that “particular attention” is being given to Robin Ward, where forthcoming replacement of critical infrastructure could provide an opportunity to install more effective cooling equipment.
It comes after record-breaking temperatures in June exposed the Hospital’s vulnerability during periods of extreme heat.
High temperatures in two of the Hospital’s seven operating theatres forced more than 30 non-urgent procedures to be rescheduled during last month’s five-day heatwave.
And in May, around 200 patients had their operations postponed during a spell of hot weather after the Hospital’s air-conditioning system failed because of problems with a chilled water unit on the roof. The two issues were unrelated.
The heat also prompted complaints from patients and families. One mother described conditions on Robin Ward during her stay with her baby as “unbearable” before backing a petition calling for air conditioning throughout the Hospital.
The petition quickly exceeded the 1,000 signatures needed to secure a ministerial response and had attracted over 2,600 signatures at the time of writing.
