Virtual hospital visits
Charity solution keeping people in touch
TECHNOLOGY has been harnessed to keep patients and frontline medical staff in touch with the outside world after Dénia hospital closed its doors to help prevent the spread of Covid-19.
The coronavirus crisis has seen visits to loved ones on the wards stopped, outpatient appointments cancelled and all but essential hospital staff working from home.
Help of Dénia and the Marina Alta has already purchased 10 tablets - and plans to buy more after launching a public appeal to raise cash - to enable virtual visits during the ongoing state of emergency.
The devices can be taken to intensive care, to patients on the wards, and enable hardworking nurses to talk to families and friends.
It is just one of the steps being taken to help by the association which celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2019 and continues its service within the Marina Alta community.
Help president Candy Wright MBE said the response to the appeal had been 'fantastic' with generous people and other associations chipping in. A Facebook appeal and donations via Help’s website have already seen €3,400 pledged; Jalón Valley Help has promised €2,000 and a Lions club is also looking to donate.
She said: “The tablets will enable people to stay in touch; these are not normal times. They can go into intensive care to enable people to be in contact with families - it is more for elderly people who perhaps don’t use technology as much and for nurses to talk to their families.
"And there are also all the people on the wards who have not got Covid-19 but are stuck there with no family or friends visiting; for example, they may have had an accident, been taken to hospital and have no means of contact to people outside.”
The charity has also made sure both patients and staff have access to some home comforts; a raid on supermarkets purchased chocolate and English sweets - all individually wrapped for hygiene. It proved so popular that a second mission is being planned; especially as nurses in the X-ray department missed out on the treat.
Candy said the hospital had arranged direct delivery of vital 'serious' prescriptions to the homes of people in isolation because of the risk of contracting the virus and Help volunteers were supporting older people at home by shopping and visiting pharmacies for them. She admitted visits by the charity's volunteers were being kept to a minimum because of the risk of spreading coronavirus - but Help remained an important communication hub. Candy said the charity was frequently contacted for advice and also acted as a bridge between patients and the hospital to answer questions and if necessary translate letters, instructions and essential information.
“We are able to help fill all the holes,” she said. “We can email queries to the hospital - it works brilliantly - and they answer very quickly as all the staff are connected to the system even though they are working from home.”
The challenge, she admitted, was attempting to sort everyone out. “It can be a bit of a brain ache because everyone has very different problems.”