St Bernard's Hospital
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St Bernard's Hospital is the only civilian Hospital#General, general hospital in the British overseas territories, British overseas territory of Gibraltar.


History


Juan Mateos

In 1567, during History of Gibraltar#Castilian/Spanish rule, Gibraltar's Spanish period, a retired Spanish people, Spanish Public house#Inns, innkeeper by the name of Juan Mateos converted his house into a 20-bed hospital. He continued to nurse locals and sailors from this location for over 20 years before running into debt, as a result of which he transferred the hospital to the "Brothers Hospitallers of St. John of God, Orden de San Juan de Dios" ( es, Order of Saint John of God). He joined the order himself until his death in 1594, when he was mourned by all the locals. By 1691, the hospital became known as the "Hospital de San Juan de Dios" ( en, Saint John of God Hospital), an isolation hospital.


Military hospital

The existing Spanish hospital in Gibraltar was taken over by the British authorities as a military hospital after the History of Gibraltar#The Gibraltar capture, Anglo-Dutch capture of Gibraltar in August 1704 and repaired and refurbished by the Richard Kane, Lieutenant Governor Col. Richard Kane. It was initially a naval hospital, but was used during the 1727 siege by the Army, and was returned to the Navy in 1728. With the building of the Naval Hospital in 1746, it became the Garrison Hospital, but by 1756 it was being used as a Barracks, later known as the Blue Barracks, where the Company of Military Artificers (later the Royal Engineers) was formed in 1776.


The New Civil Hospital

Much of the building fell into ruins after it was severely damaged by Early Modern France, Franco-Enlightenment Spain, Spanish bombardment during the Great Siege of Gibraltar, and it was not until 1815 that it was extensively rebuilt under the auspices of the then Governor of Gibraltar George Don (British Army officer), Sir George Don, as a civil hospital for the Gibraltarian people, local population. It served as a war hospital for injured soldiers in the Mediterranean, and many received aid here in the 1830s.


The Colonial Hospital

It was rebuilt in 1882, and the elegant façade can still be seen, partly obscured by further extensions and additions over the years including the ''King George VI Wing'' in front of the hospital in the 1950s and the ''Mackintosh Wing'' in the 1970s. In 2005 St Bernard's Hospital moved to its new home in Europort, and over four centuries of history came to an end.


New St Bernard's

The new St Bernard's Hospital, constructed by converting an existing office block at Europort (three times the size of the old hospital), represented a Gibraltar pound, £60,000,000 plus investment in health for current and future generations. Most of the other improvements in secondary care have been made possible by this modern medical facility which contains nearly £6 million of new medical equipment. Work on the project commenced on 8 July 2002 involving radically altering the inner areas of the existing Buildings 1–4, to adapt them to the needs of a modern hospital. The hospital is operated by the Gibraltar Health Authority, a department of the Government of Gibraltar with the purpose of providing health care to the residents of Gibraltar. The hospital is designed for some 210 beds covering Physical trauma, ortho trauma, childbirth, maternity, surgery, surgical, medicine, medical and pediatrics, paediatric wards, two main operating theatres and an emergency back up theatre, a hydrotherapy swimming pool, pool with a full Physical therapy, rehabilitation clinic, Outpatient surgery, day surgery unit and Cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, cardiac rehabilitation, Emergency department, accident and emergency department with provision for major and minor incidents and Ophthalmology, ophthalmic clinics. There is a modern morgue, mortuary with much-improved waiting and viewing facilities adjacent to a new chapel. The present School of Health Studies has relocated from ''Bleak House, Gibraltar, Bleak House'' at Europa Point to a dedicated area in Block 3 and the office of the Chief Executive and the administrative staff has moved from ''Johnstone's Passage'' to Block 1.


Gallery

File:Sister Constance Worthington.jpg, Sister Constance Worthington of the old Colonial Hospital (1891). File:Gibraltar Colonial Hospital ward.jpg, A typical ward at the old Colonial Hospital (20th century). File:King George V entering the Colonial Hospital in Gibraltar, 1935.jpg, George V, King George entering the Colonial Hospital in Gibraltar during his royal visit (1935). File:St_Bernard's_Hospital.jpg, The façade of the new St Bernard's Hospital at Europort (2008).


References


Further reading

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External links


Pictures of the old hospital

Gibraltar Health Authority
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Bernards Hospital Hospitals in Gibraltar Hospital buildings completed in 1815 Hospital buildings completed in 1882 1567 establishments in Spain Hospitals established in the 16th century 1500s establishments in Gibraltar 2004 establishments in Gibraltar 2004 disestablishments in Gibraltar