Relocation of elderly residents from St Bernard’s Hospital underway

Elderly residents from St Bernard’s hospital will be relocated to other Elderly Residential facilities within Bella Vista and Mount Alvernia within the coming weeks, in order to bolster their protection amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.   

These residential facilities have been specially adapted to cater for their needs and the relocation will reduce the potential exposure of these residents to Covid-19.

The move is already under way and comes on the advice of health care professionals, and in conjunction with the Director of Public Health.

Residents from the two Elderly Residential Services wards, John Cochrane and Calpe Wards will be temporarily relocated to Bella Vista and Mount Alvernia,

Residents will be relocated sensitively in two phases. 25 Residents will be relocated to Bella Vista and this will be followed shortly by a further 25 residents being relocated to Mount Alvernia over the coming days.

These temporary measures will also allow the conversion of John Cochrane and Calpe Wards for the provision of acute medical care within St Bernard’s Hospital.

“We have asked all residents and their families to support the Government and ERS in these difficult times and to understand that our priority is the safety of all our frail and elderly residents,” the Government said in a statement. 

The Minister for Health and Care, Paul Balban, said: “We are acting upon the advice of our health care professionals working within Civil Contingencies and Public Health. These measures are in the best interests of elderly residents in order to safeguard them keeping the most vulnerable within our community safe.”

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