Hospital prepares for increase in Omicron
The permanent installation of isolation (negative pressure ) cubicles in the Accident and Medical unit at Kaitaia Hospital will be installed this week, to prepare for an increase in Omicron cases in the community.
In a statement from Northland DHB yesterday, the hospital’s Accident and Medical services will temporarily relocate to the southern end of the general ward (the Redan Rd entry), where the oncology day stay clinic is located.
The relocate will only be for 24 hours to allow for construction of the cubicles, with the after-hours General Practice clinic continuing to run as per usual on Thursday (March 10) from 7pm to 8pm.
Kaitaia Hospital operations manager Neta Smith asked people only present to the Accident and Medical services in the case of an emergency.
“This is to keep our patients and staff safe and to help stop the spread of Covid-19,” Smith said.
“There will be minimal disruption to patients over the 24 hour period, with work being undertaken from 5pm on Thursday through to 5pm the next day.
“This is an important step towards ensuring we have adequate facilities to care for our community, especially during the Omicron outbreak as the cubicles will allow better control of airborne viruses and infectious diseases.”
Depending on what department patients visit, patients may need to undergo a rapid antigen test for Covid-19 before entering the hospital.
On presentation at the hospital, patients will be directed to a triage caravan near the Oncology clinic entrance where they will be triaged by an Accident and Medical nurse.
Meanwhile, the Government has announced it will commit $572 million for a Whangārei Hospital redevelopment.
The hospital does not currently meet building standards or requirements for clinical best practice, with Northland DHB reporting “decay and dilapidation” to the Government for years.
Redevelopment talks began in
2015, but Te Tai Tokerau’s population has boomed since the original designs were submitted.
Whangārei Mayor Sheryl Mai said she was excited at the news but suspected the years of delays would increase the project’s original cost estimates.
The dilapidated building had been increasingly difficult to put up with, Mai said.
“We know that throughout the country there’s been underinvestment in hospitals and schools and there’s a big job to catch up to bring us all to the same level but it does send a message that, ‘oh Northland, you can wait, we’ll get to you eventually’.”
Mai said original cost estimates would be out of date now and the build would take years to finish.
“It won’t be fast, this is a major investment and a major project. It will probably be the biggest investment that our region has seen, ever. So it’s really important that we get it right.”
The district health board has told the Government since 2017 that overall demand for the emergency department, intensive care, inpatient beds, and theatre services has surpassed capacity - and Northland’s medical and surgical needs have been “unprecedented”.
Last year the hospital was found to have raw sewage leaking down the inside of walls of the hospital’s medical wing.
It is reported the piping will take two years to fix, at a cost of $2.8m, because it is surrounded by asbestos.
Last year, Health Minister Andrew Little said the hospital was one of “a number” of priority redevelopments needed.
In a statement on Friday, his office said the cost of the Northland DHB’s redevelopment business case, Project Pihi Kaha, was originally put at $572m.
The minister confirmed the Government had ringfenced that amount, “subject to the business case”.
He expected the latest version to be submitted by mid-2022.
Northland DHB chief executive Dr Nick Chamberlain said he was aware money had been set aside for the hospital and believed it would be distributed across this year and next year’s budget.
“We’re making good progress with the business case and have had an independent review of it, which is a standard process. [We’ve] worked with our clinicians on the detail of that and are planning to submit the business case to the April Capital Investment Committee meeting.”
He had previously anticipated funding would be announced in last year’s Budget.
Pressure on Northland’s hospitals will only continue to rise, with the imminent spread of Omicron across the region.
Yesterday 509 new Covid-19 cases were reported in Northland, bringing the total number of active cases to 4956.
Whangā rei recorded 255 cases, followed by 204 in Far North and 50 in Kaipara.
Six people are currently in hospital according to the updated Northland District Health Board report.
Ministry of Health reported 17,522 new community cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand and 696 people in hospital, including 13 people in intensive care.
The district health board noted the published daily Covid-19 new cases in Northland in total and location breakdown by Territorial Local Authority were notified by the Ministry of Health.
Any variance between the MOH and DHB reporting will be because of different data reporting cut-off times.
Meanwhile, 90 per cent of the Northland eligible population - 87 per cent of Māori and 99 per cent of Pacific people - have received at least one dose.
As of Monday morning, 88 per cent of the Northland eligible population 82 per cent of Māori and 97 per cent of Pacific people - were fully vaccinated.
A list of today’s vaccination times, as well as Mā ori provider vaccination details, are available on the Northland DHB website.
Bookings are compulsory for people seeking the AstraZeneca vaccination.
Testing is available throughout the region. However, the district health board has said people wanting a Covid-19 test at a community testing centre will be screened upon arrival to determine which test is most appropriate.
They advised people may be given a rapid antigen test (RAT) instead.