With growing concerns surrounding the surge in the deadly Coronavirus, Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, MP, is reassuring the public that the Infectious Diseases Hospital at Liliendaal, has a full complement of medical professionals to care for COVID-19 patients.
During his COVID-19 update on Wednesday, the health minister revealed that 57 doctors and 101 nurses man the facility.
“We also have a number of auxiliary staff that includes physical therapists, pharmacists, biomedical technicians, laboratory people, and so forth. There is an adequate complement of staff that we have because of the special nature of the facility. What we have been able to do is to have extended hours how people are going to work and will keep on their shifts.”
He said health workers treating patients at the hospital are required to follow strict COVID-19 protocols including change in garments upon entering the facility and rigorous sanitising practices.
To ensure further safety, staff are also asked to refrain from leaving the facility during working hours. However, they are allowed breaks.
“Every time someone leaves the facility and would have to come in back, they will have to go through a very strict sanitising protocol. And they would also have to change their clothing because when you come in you have to decontaminate. You have to literally bathe, then change into new gowns and so forth then you can enter into the wards. So, there’s a strict process of sanitising when you’re coming in and when you’re leaving.”
With the system in place, the health ministry has contracted two persons to provide meals for patients and staff. The meals provided cater to the health conditions of patients. Meals are provided at fixed hours of the day; breakfast is served at 6:30am accompanied with a pre-lunch snack for patients. Lunch is served at noon with a mid-day snack and dinner is served at 6:00pm. Health staff are provided with transportation to and from the facility.
