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7 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 14 OCTOBER 2020 NEWS Steward Health Care Malta invests in medical gases infrastructure in Gozo General Hospital STEWARD Health Care Mal- ta has continued its investment programme in its hospitals in Gozo and Malta and has recently upgraded its medical gases infra- structure in Gozo General Hos- pital (GGH). This includes the replacement of the main vacuum plant as well as a new distribu- tion system and plant to provide the hospital with an autonomous and continued supply of oxygen for a period of four to six weeks through a 20,000-litre oxygen reservoir. This was carried out to meet the hospital's need to provide a more sustainable sup- ply of oxygen to GGH patients in anticipation of increased de- mand due to COVID-19 and the seasonal influenza. Oxygen is the most widely used medical gas and is consid- ered to be a medicinal, there- fore the provision of a safe and reliable supply is critical. With the old set-up, the hospital was reliant on the constant replen- ishment from Malta of tradi- tional oxygen through a large number of cylinders - with the former system allowing for an autonomy of only three to four days of medical oxygen and with the need to restock oxygen cylinders on a regular basis. The new investment has significantly strengthened the logistical supply chain for the provision of oxygen in the hos- pital. The new set-up involves a Vacuum Insulated Evaporator (VIE) system, which can store liquid oxygen in a cryogenic state. Apart from the VIE in- stallation, the hospital infra- structure has been upgraded with an increase in the number of oxygen points around the hospital to be able to handle the anticipated increase in ox- ygen demand during the winter season. Patients treated with respira- tory complications, sometimes require the use of suction ap- paratus supplied by a central vacuum plant. The old vacu- um plant had been in use at the Gozo Hospital since 1989, and again in anticipation of in- creased demand, Steward has invested in a new HTM-com- pliant vacuum plant. The final piece for the complete upgrade of the medical gases infrastruc- ture will be the installation of a new HTM compliant Medical Air compressors System in the coming days. This investment compliments the recent initiatives carried out in the hospital to expand hospital capacity by an addi- tional 120 beds for COVID-19, including the possibility to flex up to 25 COVID-19 ICU beds complete with ventilator setup if required. Earlier this year, Steward Malta increased the number of ventilators in GGH to an unprecedented 25 units, thanks to the Steward system's efficient and reliable supply chain. Steward Malta was able to mobilize rapidly in response to the pandemic crisis sourc- ing its high-end ventilators directly from reputable man- ufacturers such as General Electric and Philips by lev- eraging on the global supply chain network that Steward can access through its US and International health systems. This results in transparency of multi-tier supply chains and better visibility of the origin of supply, avoiding intermedi- aries and delays, and ensuring that Steward emerged in a bet- ter position to put its hospitals first in line to secure invento- ry at a time of great shortage. As part of a large international health care system, with more than 7,000 beds under Stew- ard's management worldwide, Steward Malta has access to best practice support on crisis management, treatment strate- gies, isolation and containment techniques, and optimal use of PPEs. "As part of our preparedness for COVID-19, Steward Health Care Malta has invested signif- icantly in reliable equipment and enhanced infrastructure in its hospitals with the intention to provide the best possible care to patients, whilst keeping our staff safe. Together with Steward's international lead- ership team and through the supply chain support it pro- vides, we are leaving no stone unturned to be able to deal successfully with the pandemic and the patients' needs," said Dr Nadine Delicata, Execu- tive Director and President of Steward Health Care Malta. More investments are on the way, as Steward Health Care Malta is currently working to conclude upgrades of the Physiotherapy Outpatients de- partment at Karin Grech Hos- pital as well as the Emergency Department at Gozo General Hospital. The ventilators are part of a Eur6 million investment pro- gramme that Steward Malta embarked on in 2020 to face the COVID-19 pandemic suc- cessfully. Besides ventilators, critical equipment purchased for COVID-19 purposes in- clude specialised dialysis ma- chines (CRRT), monitors and oxygen concentrators, addi- tional supplies such as Person- al Protective Equipment, and investment in infrastructure and plant. Steward Malta invested in the modifications of its facil- ities at Karin Grech Hospital to accommodate changes in patient demand and workflow as a result of COVID-19. This includes a new additional 28- bed ward complete with nega- tive pressure and the required air changes. In summer, Steward Health Care's headquarters in the US donated 100,000 disposable face masks to be used in the Gozitan and Maltese commu- nity, especially by vulnerable people, so as to help in the pre- vention of the spread of COV- ID-19. The vacuum plant at Gozo General Hospital The new oxygen reservoir set up at Gozo General Hospital