Hospitals well placed to deal with crisis
WELLINGTON: Hospitals say they have been preparing for weeks for a rise in coronavirus cases and are well placed to treat victims.
Dan Coward, chair of the district health boards’ group of chief operating officers, said anyone needing treatment for serious injury or nonCovid19 illnesses will ‘‘absolutely’’ still get the care they need.
But as a result of the coronavirus lockdown, most people in hospital now will not be able to have visitors.
‘‘We are in extraordinary times and we are restricting access to members of the public coming into our hospitals.’’
Exceptions would be made for endoflife care and parents or caregivers of children on a casebycase basis, and ensuring personal protective equipment is provided.
Visitors would be asked about their travel or exposure to people who have travelled, he said.
By postponing surgeries, hospitals have been able to create the capacity they need for the next four weeks in the event of a surge of cases, Mr Coward said.
DHBs have also been planning to ensure they can provide the ‘‘right care in the right place by the right professionals’’.
In some cases, that might mean using different spaces, he said. Facilities such as gyms or field hospitals would be a last resort.
DHBs had a dedicated workforce but there would be some who simply would have no option but to stay home to look after children, Mr Coward said.
‘‘This is extraordinary times, so we are looking at extraordinary efforts to be able to support them.
‘‘We really encourage people to talk to managers and seek the help that they need.’’
If people needed advice they could phone the Helpline or their GP and if they felt acutely unwell or really believed they needed to come to hospital they could dial 111, he said. — RNZ