Years in the making following the passage of Hurricanes Irma and Maria, which wreaked havoc on the territory’s health facilities in 2017, the Department of Health on Thursday held an opening ceremony to introduce to the public modular units on St. Croix that will house D.O.H. until a new facility can be built.
According to Government House, FEMA provided $1 million in funding to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the installation of the 66 modular units. These units will be utilized as temporary medical, EMS and administrative facilities. They are located mostly to the north of the Charles Harwood Medical Complex in Richmond, Christiansted. FEMA has provided $1.1 million for furniture and electronics.
“Today is a great day for the Virgin Islands and the St. Croix community,” Governor Albert Bryan said at the event. “It is the beginning of the permanent repairs and our road to a new and improved healthcare system in the territory. I thank Commissioner-Nominee Justa Encarnacion and her staff at the Department of Health, and all the stakeholders for all of their efforts.”
Ms. Encarnacion, whose nomination recently received a favorable nod from lawmakers, said the units will provide a suitable setting for employees to work; D.O.H. staff have endured working in tents outside the main, damaged building, some enduring the scorch of the sun’s heat.
“It is also a very exciting and relieving time for the Department of Health as access to the modular units affords our staff a comfortable work environment to provide improved healthcare services to our clients. I am enthusiastic about embarking on a new journey in a new space,” she said.
FEMA Recovery Director Jacqueline Heyliger spoke of the collaboration between a multitude of both local and federal agencies in the aftermath of the storms.
“Since the hurricane force winds subsided, FEMA and the federal family have worked hand-in-hand with the Department of Health and VITEMA to meet the needs of survivors and restore essential services,” Ms. Heyliger said. “We are proud to have been a part of this effort, contributing more than $1 million in funding and collaborating across the federal family, in particular, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in the installation of these modular units.”
Deputy D.O.H. Commissioner Reuben Molloy sought to remind that the modular units are only a temporary fix, with the permanent plan of demolish and rebuild still in sight.
“While we celebrate this accomplishment today, this is just the beginning. The installation on St. Croix modulars is our midterm plan,” Mr. Molloy said. “The longterm plan is to demolish and rebuild the aging storm-damages Charles Harwood Memorial Complex. We need to establish appropriate facilities for our staff to provide premium public health services to the residents of St. Croix.”
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