Glance inside a New Zealand Covid-19 ward
Jo Lines-MacKenzie takes a look inside a hospital that underwent massive change as Covid-19 cases spread.
‘‘Mr Covid it would be really nice if you finish your holiday and go home now.’’
This is from a letter that Dr Catherina Chang’s daughter wrote at the start of the level 4 coronavirus lockdown.
This was right when Chang, a Waikato Hospital respiratory physician, was preparing for a tsunami of patients.
Thankfully that hasn’t happened so far, but the hospital isn’t letting down its guard.
Chang is one of those instrumental in setting up Waikato Hospital’s stringent Covid-19 procedures. And these will stay in place as alert levels lower through the pandemic.
On a Friday afternoon, while still in level 4, Stuff toured the hospital to see how it was preparing should the number of patients haemorrhage.
The first noticeable change was the approach to the Emergency Department at 218 Pembroke St.
Patients are greeted by a tapedoff area, which has become the pretriage area, just outside the ED entrance.
A nurse in Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) then asks some simple questions to decide if patients go through the yellow or green door.
Green is for those who require regular medical treatment like a broken ankle or a stomach bug.
The yellow is for those who are at risk of having Covid-19.
Temporary walls have been put up to separate the two sections. Seats in both areas are marked with indicators of where to sit and where not to make sure there is social distancing.
‘‘Yellow zone has a very low number of people who do have Covid-19. But it allows the hospital to capture the most people that could possibly have it,’’ Chang says.
‘‘The current ED changes are also likely to stay but we are making short-term decisions based on case numbers and the national alert level – with the ability to flex up and down as demand requires.
‘‘The transition back will be a progression and can be reversed at any point if the need arises.’’
In level 4 there were about 50 people each day going through the yellow zone but very few testing positive for Covid-19. It also allows treatment without bursting your bubble.
‘‘Everyone has worked so hard because we had to be ready to give people the best fighting chance to beat Covid-19.’’
Emergency department clinical director Dr Ian Martin turns up in his black uniform. All emergency staff have colour-coded uniforms identifying which section they’re working in, and all are wearing masks.
‘‘The infectious disease area has got all the PPE they require. I’ve been bemused how people have said they can’t get access to PPE,’’ Martin said.
Looking through the window of the yellow zone it’s like a Hollywood science-fiction scene with staff fully gowned with full face masks.
‘‘They’re wearing theatre gowns since there were no elective surgeries going on. The theatre gowns were going to expire in a few months so it works well for us and they are more comfortable to work in all day,’’ Martin said.
Martin said it was important