HONOLULU (KHON2) -- State and community leaders unveiled Oahu's newest medical services facility in Downtown Honolulu that aims to serve medically vulnerable homeless individuals.
The ʻAʻala Respite is located at 445 N. King St. and comes staffed with a "full medical team to establish care for incoming patients."
ʻAʻala Respite represents a new and innovative approach that has quickly shown promising results in our efforts to ease the pain and suffering of our homeless population.
Rick Blangiardi
The facility offers 32 treatment beds where individuals who are too sick to stay in shelters to receive 24-hour care from on-site physicians and staff.
Additionally, the City has installed 30 "kauhale" units in the parking lot, where patients can receive medical treatment and support from their own space.
"Our medically fragile homeless population can come here, get better, and then from here, this is a transient place to stay. They can then get placed in the most appropriate setting," Honolulu EMS Department Director Dr. Jim Ireland explained.
Officials said the state-funded facility addresses the homeless issues promised by Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi and Governor Josh Green M.D.
The state has partnered with Premier Medical Group Hawaii, who is managing the facility, on a $4 million annual contract through June 2025.
"We need a place that doesn't say no because there are so many facilities that say no. We can't do that. We can't take that. So that's what this is. This is a place ready to care for all of our homeless, no matter how sick and ill they are," said Dr. Scott Miscovich of Premiere Medical Group Hawaii.
Check out more news from around Hawaii
According to the City and County of Honolulu, ʻAʻala Respite began accepting patients in July. As of Monday, approximately 45 patients are currently receiving treatment.