Operations normal at locked down hospitals

RENJI Hospital’s west branch is functioning normally after it was locked down when a worker was diagnosed with coronavirus infection on Thursday.

Yesterday was the third day the hospital in Huangpu District has been under closed-loop management.

Outpatient services have been suspended. Many doctors and nurses volunteered to return to the battlefield to treat patients in the hospital, although some of them didn’t have to be quarantined in their workplace but in a designated hotel, Dr Yue Bing, deputy director of bone and joint surgery department, said yesterday.

A 64-year-old patient surnamed Li, who had knee surgery three days ago, said the medical workers have been very kind.

Yue added: “All staff and patients are fighting the virus strenuously and we are looking forward to victory. The physical and psychological condition of all people staying in the hospital at present is stable.”

There are 16 inpatients in the bone and joint surgery department, with half over 60 years old. Some are quarantined alone without family or friends.

To relieve their stress, medical workers explained the situation promptly on Thursday, the day the hospital was locked down.

The concern of patients’ families, who cannot visit the hospital, has been eased because they can chat with the patients and ask questions of doctors via mobiles, Yue said.

At the Shanghai Cancer Center’s Xuhui branch, over 4,000 quarantined medical staff are being supported by a volunteer group of 20 people from different hospital departments.

The hospital has also been under closed-loop control from the same day as Renji Hospital for the same reason.

Usually hospital staff go to the canteen to eat and patients’ food is sent to some 10 workers. But now, the medical staff cannot leave their office zones to prevent cross-infection.

To ensure each hospital staff member can have a hot meal in time, the group was organized on Friday and many WeChat groups for each building and each floor were created.

Their work begins at 6am. First the number of people who need a meal is collected via the social media platform and all food is put into insulated trolleys. When the food arrives, the leader of the floor is notified.

“Our three meals per day have been guaranteed. Thank you for your care and encouragement,” Sun Zhirong, a doctor from the anesthesiology department, posted online.