Breach in PPE after UN staffer’s mercy flight
Patient critically ill and hospital worker goes into quarantine as a precaution
A Middlemore Hospital worker was last night put into quarantine after a “PPE protocol incident” relating to the care of a Covid-19 patient who was flown from Fiji to New Zealand.
The mercy dash patient, a UN staffer in her 60s, remained in a critical condition last night and while doctors are unsure which variant she has, they are treating it as the highly infectious Delta strain.
The woman was transferred to New Zealand cocooned in an Isopod — a negative pressure capsule — while aircrew donned full protective wear to safeguard against infection.
The flight touched down in Auckland at 6.30pm on Thursday and the patient arrived at the South Auckland hospital just before 8pm.
But last night, the Ministry of Health said a Middlemore Hospitalbased worker had been moved into quarantine after a breach once the patient had been taken into their care.
The breach was considered “minor” and the worker was fully vaccinated, the ministry said.
“Once the incident occurred, the individual reported it immediately, sought advice and began taking the appropriate steps to manage any possible risks.” That risk was considered low and no one else was affected, the ministry said.
Middlemore Hospital chief medical officer Peter Watson earlier said the New Zealand Air Ambulance-coordinated flight went exactly as planned with the patient now in a negative pressure isolation room in the hospital’s intensive care unit.
“There’s a bubble made up of everyone at Middlemore Hospital who will be involved in the patient’s care. Right now, the patient is only being cared for by our critical care team.”
A request to fly to New Zealand for treatment earlier this week was initially rebuffed by the Ministry of Health before the decision was reversed days later.
New Zealand Air Ambulance Service chief executive Annabel Toogood said the biggest challenge of the flight was not the clinical management of the patient but the co-ordination of multiple agencies across both New Zealand and Fiji to ensure a seamless transfer.
A highly skilled, fully vaccinated team of three, comprising an intensive care doctor, a senior flight nurse and Isopod specialist paramedic, carried out the mission wearing full personal protective equipment throughout.
Toogood said it was a success, with no Isopod or personal protective equipment breaches.
Former Prime Minister Helen Clark — also a former UN Development Programme boss — earlier said the woman’s mercy flight had been requested by the UN.
“I have total confidence in Middlemore Hospital and its first class ICU,” Clark said. “In this case, Counties Manukau and Middlemore have stepped up to respond to a UN request, which will be hugely appreciated by the UN and the patient and her family.”
Yesterday the health ministry said requests for medical treatment in New Zealand from overseas jurisdictions, particularly the Pacific, were common. Every request was carefully considered.
Fiji reported 1301 new Covid cases for the 24 hours to 8am Thursday, and nine deaths, taking the toll to 227.