Sarnia, Ontario — In April, the gymnasium at Lambton College was transformed into a field hospital to prepare for an influx of COVID-19 patients. After two months and no use, it is being dismantled.
Bluewater Health originally asked Sarnia’s Office of Emergency Management for a secondary location to provide patient care should the health system become overwhelmed. Several businesses and tradespeople stepped in to establish the 150 bed field hospital, and it was a great display of community collaboration.
Two enclosed tractor trailers were purchased for storage and transport of the field hospital. The city will store the non-clinical equipment for the field hospital which can be easily mobilized for future pandemic use.
In a press release, Ron Realesmith, Emergency Manager of the City of Sarnia, said, “The City of Sarnia has incredible community partners who came together in a time of need. Through their generosity of time, talent and financial contributions, our community was presented with a need and we collaboratively provided a solution in less than a week. The City of Sarnia was honoured to play our part for the community and we now have a mobile field hospital for years to come.”
Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand