Could Portable ICU Wards Be Coming to Caribbean Cruise Ports?

Rather than cruise ships having to contend with converting spaces into full-fledged isolation wards and intensive-care units (ICUs) in response to COVID-19, design consultant, Hugh Darley of Orlando-based firm, IDEA, has proposed an alternative solution.

His notion would place control into the hands of Caribbean cruise destinations themselves, with the added benefit of easing travelers’ concerns that they’ll be stuck aboard a ship, should some passenger fall ill.

Seatrade Cruise News reported that an integrated system, called ‘Mi Island Medical,’ would be instituted at various destinations’ ports of entry to screen every passenger upon arrival, removing those who are symptomatic to a self-contained, onsite field hospital for further testing and care in isolation.

The proposed field hospitals would consist of a series of ICU “pods” from FORTS, a Florida-based manufacturer of modular, fold-out facilities with connections and plug-and-play abilities built right into their design. FORTS is already a supplier of portable shelters to the U.S. Navy.

As part of the proposition, these portside facilities would receive support from one of two dedicated hospital ships, each equipped with its own helicopter. These would run continuously on set itineraries—one from a U.S. mainland port, serving the north Caribbean, and the other out of Puerto Rico, to serve the south region.

These vessels would collect patients from shoreside ICUs as needed for onboard care or quarantine, or for transfer back to a U.S. homeport.

Mi Island Medical has suggested two particular Italian-built fast ferries that could be converted to suit the purpose, refitting cabins as medical wards and installing prefabricated ICUs with independent ventilation systems on the upper decks to meet intensive care and isolation requirements. The ferries’ 34-knot operational speeds would allow for rapid emergency response times.

“No one should rely on the cruise lines or airlines to provide a solution,” said Darley. “Our system allows the island port authorities to test at the gangway, and determine if the passenger or crew member is healthy or ill. Our on-site ICU can then be used to further test and determine if the patient stays in the ICU and does not re-board the ship.”

Darley’s proposed system would call for a new class of mandatory travel insurance. He attests that up to two million U.S. citizens are typically visiting the Caribbean on any given day and, on many islands, hospital facilities and medical care are quite limited.

Mi Island Medical is envisioning umbrella coverage that would enable cruise lines, airlines and resorts to guarantee their guests have prompt access to U.S./internationally-approved treatments and facilities.

Governments or port authorities would need to purchase a franchise package, consisting of the ICU pods themselves, medical equipment and training for local medical personnel. Member countries would gain access to safe, modern facilities, enhanced by regular visits from the hospital ships. The system would provide value both for tourists and the wider community, says Mi Island Medical, with access to MRI scanners and other equipment.

Darley is recommending five pods per port—three ICUs, a reception area, and an electrical and mechanical support unit—costing between $1 and $1.5 million per compound. Reportedly, he is initially pursuing talks with officials in Jamaica and Grand Bahama.