Acting Director of Medical Services at the QEH, Dr. Clyde Cave.
Given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, management of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) is urging members of the public not to simply turn up at the hospital or present to the Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department for care, without calling ahead first. Potential patients should also be aware that there is a triage system in place, for those visiting A&E.
Acting Director of Medical Services at the QEH, Dr. Clyde Cave revealed the above during a press conference yesterday, where key officials gave a COVID-19 Update. During that press conference, Cave outlined the practices which are in place to protect staff and patients as well.
“The first thing we ask is that you call ahead to our Help Desk, at 536-4800. That is staffed by professionals, doctors and experienced nurses who can provide first-aid and direct you as to the course. It may be best not to actually come to the hospital at that time and there may be other things that you are advised to do,” he stated.
“When you arrive at the Accident and Emergency Department, the first stop will be the tent outside, where a triage is performed. That is the procedure where we assess the state of the patient's health, but also their relative risk for COVID. This is first in the form of a questionnaire and we ask the public please to be honest and forthcoming with all of the answers to the questions. This is for your own safety, but also for the safety of other patients in Accident and Emergency at the time and also for our staff,” Cave stressed.
He further explained, “On the basis of that triage, patients are directed either to a [specific] area where respiratory illnesses and other COVID likely or possible cases are cared for in isolation facilities or to the regular Accident and Emergency, where they have also precautions in place to prevent COVID transmissions, but obviously not as rigorous as in the [specific] area.
“Once you have been assessed and seen by a doctor, the decision then will be to have a COVID screening test or not. There is sometimes a delay, during which time we are waiting for the results of that test, but that does not hold up the medical care which is being provided to patients in need. Once we have that test back, then patients are directed then either to the isolation facilities if they are positive or admitted to either the general hospital and in the general hospital, we also have practices and procedures to minimise any kind of spread, because like in the community, we have to be always vigilant,” Dr. Cave said. (RSM)