Hyperbaric facilities

(File photo) Hyperbaric chamber at Rigshospitalet, the Danish national hospital
(File photo) Hyperbaric chamber at Rigshospitalet, the Danish national hospital

Hyperbaric chambers in NW Florida unavailable to divers

In a region already woefully short of adequate hyperbaric emergency services for divers, chambers from Mississippi to Northwest Florida are reportedly now filling up with Covid-19 patients fighting for their lives.

As reported earlier on this site, the closest decompression chambers to the popular Oriskany dive site and Florida Panhandle Shipwreck Trail are in Mobile, Alabama which is out of state—or in Fort Myers, more than 600 miles away.

Oban Chamber has busy 2019

This resulted in 39 hyperbaric sessions, because some of the divers needed several therapy sessions.

Apparently, 2019 was the busiest year in the last decade for the Oban (Scotland) based chamber. Most of the patients were recreational divers; however, commercial divers working at fish farms or in civil engineering were also treated.

A peek inside a decompression chamber at a hospital (file photo)
A peek inside a decompression chamber at a hospital (file photo)

Lack of deco chamber in Pensacola concern dive ops and tourism

Although Visit Pensacola promotes the Oriskany dive site and Florida Panhandle Shipwreck Trail, it has not been made aware of the safety concerns rover the region's lack of hyperbaric chambers to treat decompression sickness Nicole Stacey, spokeswoman for Visit Pensacola, told Pensacola News Journal on Thursday.

She said Visit Pensacola was not involved in any effort to try to improve emergency treatment options for divers and would rely on the diving industry and those professionals in the area to remedy the situation.

The chamber has been operated by St John Ambulance for the past 40 years

Closed Channel Island recompression chamber to be replaced

he old chamber which is over 40 years old, was run by St John Ambulance & Rescue Service and used to treat divers with decompression sickness until it was closed in April. It was solely funded by public donations and located at the Ambulance Station on the outskirts of Guernsey’s main town, St Peter Port.

Health Minister Godfrey Farrugia (left) visited the Hyperbaric Unit in Gozo that is once again fully operational
Health Minister Godfrey Farrugia (left) visited the Hyperbaric Unit in Gozo that is once again fully operational

Deco chamber on Gozo now operational

This service both sustain the diving industry in Gozo and also serves to provide hyperbaric oxygen therapy to the Gozo General Hospital patients.

The Ministry for Health is also planning to train two further doctors in hyperbaric medicine at the GGH.