https://www.itvpatagonia.com/noticias/estacion-de-campo-alojo-durante-5-...

A little over thirty civil servants from the Magallanes Health Service were accommodated in the Environmental Philosophy Field Station, located in Omora Park, Puerto Williams and were given over five months to help Punta Arenas professionals to support the work of controlling the coronavirus pandemic in Cape Horn.

These facilities which are part of the Sub-Antarctic Biocultural Conservation Program of the Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity, the University of Magallanes, the Omora Foundation and the University of North Texas consist of rooms to accommodate up to twenty four people, three offices and a laboratory.

The director of the Community Hospital, "Cristina Calderon" of Puerto Williams, Fabian Barrientos was appreciative having available the field station, which was recently returned to the researchers.

"For us as a community hospital, the Omora house and the support of UMAG were fundamental to begin the strategy and the control of the COVID-19 pandemic. That is where we were able to house civil servants that came to reinforce and support, even technicians, nurses and doctors that were here from the beginning of the pandemic because we were one of the first communities of the region with an outbreak and many were infected," explained Barrientos.

In addition, he described the fundamental support and facilities which were made available free of charge during a health emergency that included a large expense of health resources. "Hosting our staff members who came to support us was critical and we are very grateful for all the help UMAG provided to the community hospital and to the Magellan Health Service," he said.

Photograph credit:

Omar Barroso

Translation: Carmen Auerbach