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Whakatāne Hospital is now triaging patients at the front entrance as part of its preparedness to protect patients, staff and the wider community from Covid-19 coronavirus.
Instead of coming into the emergency department waiting room to be triaged by a nurse, patients will go a portacom outside the front entrance, Bay of Plenty District Health Board interim chief executive Simon Everitt said.
Simon Everitt. Photo / File
Two nurses were based in the portacom, with one triaging people seeking healthcare from the emergency department. The other was screening the limited number of people coming into the hospital.
"These precautionary measures are about protecting our staff and vulnerable patients from the potential of being exposed to Covid-19," said Everitt.
The nurses were asking those presenting at the portacom a series of questions to determine if they were presenting with Covid-19 related symptoms, such as shortness of breath, a fever, or a dry cough, Whakatāne Hospital said in a statement today.
Those who were identified as having those symptoms were being referred to the Community Based Assessment Centre at the Whakatāne War Memorial Hall, where, if they still needed to be seen in the emergency department, appropriate Personal Protective Equipment procedures would be followed.
If the patient had no Covid-19 symptoms and needed to be treated in hospital, they would be seen as usual.
The hospital had also divided its wards into red and green zones, with any patients who had suspected Covid-19 treated in red areas.
Staff working there were following strict PPE guidelines, the statement said.
"These measures are really important and necessary to protect our staff, patients and will improve our ability to manage the potential increased demand as the COVID-19 situation unfolds," said Everitt.
Other measures to protect patients and our community from COVID-19 include reducing all non-essential surgeries and outpatient appointments, phone and video consults with patients where appropriate, a no visitor policy with few exceptions.
Everitt said we all needed to unite against COVID-19 to slow its spread, and reminded people to wash their hands often, with soap, for 20 seconds, drying thoroughly afterwards.
"Cough or sneeze into your elbow, and most importantly, stay home if you are sick and phone Healthline or your GP if you have any concerns."
