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Thursday, October 23, 2014

Veterans Hospital Orders Emergency Installation of HEPA Air Filters to Create A Multi-person Ebola Quarantine Ward


The Veterans Administration hospital in San Juan, Puerto Rico, is expecting the near term arrival of a number of Ebola patients and is creating an entire Ebola Ward to handle the infected patient inflow. It is unclear if Puerto Rico is the defacto "leper colony" for US Service Men who become infected with Ebola in Africa via Operation United Assistance, or if its for a purely Puerto Rican Ebola outbreak.

The hospital is fearful that the Airborne spread of Ebola out of their quarantine ward will "create a situation where an outbreak of Ebola may happen to patient, guest or employees". The Veterans Administration has categorized this as an emergency situation, and has awarded a no-bid emergency contract to install HEPA air filters in the Ward's return air HVAC ducting.

The Ebola Ward will be located on the 2nd floor of South Bed Tower, identified as building 8 in this Va Map.



The Hospital states:

"As such this situation is considered an emergency and prompt attention is a required delaying repair will create a situation where an outbreak of Ebola may happen to patient, guest or employees." 
"San Juan needs to conduct emergency installation of HEP Filters at the HVAC line that serves Ward 2K of the South Bed Tower
"The vendor must provide and install a filter frame for the return duct and HEPA filters for the return and supply systems. Once completed the Contractor must test and Balance the area (ward 2K of the South Bed Tower)"
"This emergency service is for the creation of a Ward to attend suspected patients with the Ebola Virus that have to be quarantine. "
 "Ward 2K of the South Bed Tower must be prepared to attend patients that have acquired or are suspected of being a carrier of the Ebola Virus. Engineering work needs to be done to mitigate and prevent further exposure to the virus."
 "These changes to the HVAC system are needed at once to preclude impairment of healthcare delivery capabilities or mission performance in case of a patient contaminated with the Ebola Virus."
" Prior authorization was obtained to process this emergency and is filled on the briefcase under P11 approve emergency order."
 Facility is working with the Ward to make a long term care unit for any other outbreak"

Sources:

https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&tab=core&id=27f96d73a7d08beb9c22d0ac2fe3a533



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