A delivery of bulk petrochemical products, consisting of 99.9 per cent isopropyl alcohol (IPA) and surface cleaners, was dispatched to the Bellevue Hospital in Kingston by RUBiS Energy Jamaica on March 17 to contain further the spread of COVID-19 at the mental health institution.
The substantial donation from the petroleum and petrochemicals marketing and distribution company was deemed timely as a range of infection prevention and control measures have been in effect in recent weeks, with support from the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOHW).
CEO of Bellevue, Marcia Mullings-Thompson, expressed that “This donation is so important to us, especially the alcohol, as this will prevent us from having to purchase. We thank RUBiS for the continued support of this institution, especially in times like these.”
Since the outbreak was identified at the facility, the MOHW instituted the separation of patients who have tested positive from those who have tested negative; testing onwards that share a common area with the ward on which the cluster of cases was detected; symptomatic surveillance of all other wards, with the testing of all symptomatic persons; and the restriction of interaction among staff and patients from different wards.
“I think the hospital is in a better standard [than other similar entities] because our wards are detached from each other. [However] even though our patients are here [residents], they are exposed to others. I must commend the staff,” shared the CEO.
Commendations for Bellevue
Head of Commercial Operations at RUBiS, Troy Thompson, commended the health-care facility for its strident efforts to maintain safety standards and the role that the institution plays in the mental health rehabilitation of Jamaicans. “I commend Mrs Mullings-Thompson, her team and frontline workers in general. The team at Bellevue face a unique challenge in that quite a few of their patients are not capable of coping or adhering to certain COVID-19 safety protocols such as wearing masks correctly, not touching their faces and so on.”
He went on to explain that “This donation is part of a longstanding relationship with Bellevue Hospital and educational institutions in the communities surrounding our head offices in Rockfort. We relentlessly continue to play our part as good corporate citizens during this pandemic through efforts such as these, while integrating COVID-19 safety protocols internally and throughout our network and for our CSR [corporate social responsibility] programmes.”
The 55 gallons of 99.9 per cent isopropyl alcohol and 60 gallons of surface cleaners delivered to the hospital follows the company’s previous CSR efforts. Rubis wants to provide items such as bed pads, masks, hand sanitiser, latex gloves, adult diapers, sanitary napkins and surface cleaners to Bellevue. It has also assisted infirmaries and child care facilities across the island since June 2020.
