Hurricane Preparedness at St. Boniface Hospital

Thanks to your generous support, Health Equity International/St. Boniface Hospital (HEI/SBH) has begun procuring critical supplies and reinforcing hospital infrastructure in preparation for hurricane season. These preparations will help keep our staff and patients safe in the event of a major storm or other natural disaster. 

Since early April 2021 have been assessing where to add new shutters to the hospital’s windows. These shutters prevent heavy wind and rain from causing damage during the storms we frequently experience during hurricane season. We have also started cleaning and repairing all of the hospital’s roofs to ensure no leaks or debris can cause damage during periods of high wind.

Our operations team is currently procuring critical resources such as water purification tablets, bottled water, rain gear, and cleaning supplies. The team has also begun to create emergency stores of personal protective equipment, bottled oxygen, fuel, and other essential supplies we need to treat patients across all services, including those who may need COVID-19 care. We must have emergency stores of these pandemic-specific items: global stock-outs have made them difficult to procure and our ability to travel and purchase them locally could be limited for weeks at a time amid a hurricane. Finally, the team is working to expand our storage capacity for all of our emergency supplies. Our goal is to have up to two months’ worth of resources in a dedicated, secure storage space for use during a hurricane or other natural disaster. 

HEI/SBH is deeply grateful for your support of our hurricane season preparations. Your generosity ensures that we have everything we need to respond quickly and save lives during an emergency. In times of both calm and crisis, SBH will remain open and fully operational, 24/7, to provide the care our patients need and deserve.

Links:

• Health Equity International website