Residents should visit Mediclinic if they need medical attention
Hospital staff ensure safe visit during Covid-19 pandemic
TRICHARDT – The management team of Mediclinic Highveld, wants to ensure people that the hospital and staff are ready to support the community with urgent care.
“We at Mediclinic understand that many people are now avoiding hospital emergency centres,” said Ms Tertia Kruger, Mediclinic’s corporate communication manager.
“We recognise that we have been told to stay home in order to reduce the risk during the lockdown period.
“We are also aware of the concern that individuals might have of catching the virus by coming to a hospital.”
Mr Heinrich Liebenberg, general manager of Mediclinic Highveld and Mediclinic Secunda, said they want to assure residents that during the lockdown period, Mediclinic continued to implement a number of measures to ensure the safety of their patients, staff and doctors.
“These measures are all aimed at lowering the risk of infection for all stakeholders,” said Mr Liebenberg.
It is important to note that going to hospital is no less safe than going to the shops to buy groceries, as long as you take the necessary precautions.
The staff at Mediclinic is striving to make their facilities as safe as possible for the community.
“We have implemented screening for patients, staff and other individuals coming to the hospital,” said Mr Liebenberg.
“We have separate Covid-19 and and non-Covid-19 related treatment areas to further reduce your risk. Our staff has all been equipped with the necessary PPE to ensure that we are able to care for all our patients, whatever their medical needs.
“Each patient is issued with a cloth mask for the period of admission, unless a surgical mask is appropriate, to further reduce the risk of transmission.”
Mr Liebenberg assured residents that while they continue to adhere to lockdown measures, if they require urgent medical care, Mediclinic is there for them.
“We also understand that by delaying chronic or urgent medical care, you may be placing your health at further risk.”
If people are feeling ill or in pain, they would normally have visited one of Mediclinic’s emergency centres before the pandemic began.
Mr Liebenberg said people should now continue to seek medical care to ensure their health is not place at further risk.
“This especially applies if you have chest pain, signs of a stroke, other severe pain, problems with your diabetes, or any other medical condition that you are concerned about. Your risk of infection with the coronavirus while at hospital is extremely low, while your risk of long term health complications, if you delay seeking urgent medical care, is much higher.”
The safety measures Mediclinic implemented to ensure patients’ safety include:
• Strict policies and procedures are in place to limit the risk of infection
• All staff has been trained in infection prevention and control and precautions to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and other infections
• All staff is equipped with the required personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect them against infection
• Additional cleaning rounds have been implemented and all areas are cleaned thoroughly in-between patients
• Strict hospital access control procedures have been introduced to limit the risk of transmission
• All patients will undergo testing before or on admission to confirm their Covid-19 status – with allocation to the appropriate area for treatment
• Covid-19 and non-Covid-19 treatment areas in hospitals with limited movement of staff members
• All patients are issued with cloth masks for the duration of their admission
Contact Mediclinic’s Covid-19 hotline at 0860 24 00 24 and in an emergency, contact ER24 at 084 124.
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