08:08, 05/08/2020

Cross contamination prevention against COVID-19

During this unprecedented COVID-19 outbreak, hospitals, especially Khanh Hoa General Hospital and Hospital of Tropical Diseases in Khanh Hoa have enhanced disease prevention and control procedures...

During this unprecedented COVID-19 outbreak, hospitals, especially Khanh Hoa General Hospital and Hospital of Tropical Diseases in Khanh Hoa have enhanced disease prevention and control procedures.
 
Khanh Hoa General Hospital has resumed checking people entering the hospital. All patients are required to undergo temperature checks, wear masks and wash hands with hand sanitizers available at the 4 main gates.
 
Patients with signs of respiratory diseases are directed to a respiratory clinic located at gate 2. Those suspected with COVID-19 are moved directly to an isolation area to minimize transmission. In waiting areas, crowded places and along corridors, there are COVID-19 signs and posters, recommending a minimum distance of 1m apart from others; and hand sanitizer dispensers for patients and their families to conveniently clean their hands. Private patient transport vehicles are banned from entering the hospital area.
 

 

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Temperature checks at  Khanh Hoa General Hospital.
 
 
Patient visitation is restricted under the guidance of the Ministry of Health and Department of Health. Each patient has only one designated caregiver. All patients, their families and medical staff are required to fill in health declaration forms. The hospital has prepared sufficient medications and chemicals for disease control and prevention, according to Doctor Phan Huu Chinh, Director of Khanh Hoa General Hospital.
 
Similarly, Khanh Hoa Hospital of Tropical Diseases and General Hospitals of Ninh Hoa, Cam Ranh, Cam Lam, Dien Khanh, Van Ninh, etc have checked, identified and separated those with possible COVID-19 right at the gates. In examination wards, separate lanes for patients with signs of respiratory diseases and all patients are required to wear masks and keep a physical distance from others within the hospitals.
 
Khanh Hoa Hospital of Tropical Diseases has ensured disease contamination prevention for medical staff a top priority. Patient screening, separation and isolation procedures have been conducted as regulated with sufficient equipment for checking, sub-clinical care and treatment for patients confirmed or suspected with COVID-19.
 
To prevent cross contamination among health workers, the hospital has set up a 24-hour isolation area for medical staff directly providing care and treatment for patients confirmed or suspected with COVID-19. After their shifts, medical staff are asked to remain in the isolation area until they are tested negative for the virus. There are storage rooms for medicines and chemical supplies available inside the isolation ward. Rooms for patients suspected or confirmed with COVID-19 are disinfected as soon as they are discharged, according to Doctor Nguyen Dong, Director of Tropical Diseases Hospital.
 
Together with patient transportation decontamination and disinfection, 2 COVID-19 response teams have been activated at Khanh Hoa General Hospital. Training sessions especially on COVID-19 and cross-contamination prevention have been held. A separate surgery area is designated for patients suspected with COVID-19.
 
A makeshift isolation area has been placed on standby with 20 beds at the Traditional Medicine & Rehabilitation Ward, which has a separate access. The facility will be converted to be the makeshift isolation area with 40 beds to receive COVID-19 patients (if any) and then the Traditional Medicine & Rehabilitation Department will move to another place, according to Doctor Chinh.
 
Together with Khanh Hoa General Hospital, other hospitals in Khanh Hoa have activated COVID-19 control and prevention procedures and put isolation areas on standby. Under the pandemic response scheme, Ninh Hoa General Hospital has set up a standby isolation ward at its infection department. If infection cases increase, the entire infection department will be converted into an isolation ward with 40 beds, according to Doctor Le Quang Lenh, Vice-Director of Ninh Hoa General Hospital.
 
Although having fully taken measures to control the epidemic, the Hospital of Tropical Diseases, designated to receive and treat COVID-19 patients, has a high risk of cross contamination. To ensure the safety and health of hospital staff and patients, it is essential that the hospital would be equipped with a negative pressure system; Telemedicine system to expand access to specialized consultation with central hospitals in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, and Real-time PCR assay machines for prompt diagnosis of cases suspected with COVID-19, according to Doctor Nguyen Dong.
 
C.Dan
Translated by N.T