9 Mediclinic Highveld staff members who tested positive are now in self-isolation
Many who tested positive since 1 March have already recovered
HIGHVELD – Several staff members at Mediclinic Highveld tested positive for Covid-19.
According to Dr Stefan Smuts, chief clinical officer of Mediclinic Southern Africa, nine staff members have the coronavirus.
He said since the first staff member at Mediclinic Highveld was tested, all the people who came in contact with that staff member, have been tested with the majority of tests returning with negative results.
Dr Smuts said since the declaration of the Covid-19 pandemic, Mediclinic introduced stringent measures to reduce the risk of transmission of Covid-19 at all of its hospitals.
“The staff members in question are currently in isolation and will only return to work once they have been cleared to do so,” said Dr Smuts. “We can confirm that reviews have taken place to ascertain all staff members, doctors and patients potentially exposed.”
The National Department of Health also has firm processes in place governing contact tracing of those exposed to a positive individual.
Dr Smuts said all contacts are being followed up, monitored and isolation protocols stringently applied where relevant.
Mediclinic Highveld has adopted the WHO and NICD guidelines to assess and test patients for Covid-19, the recommended infection and prevention principles specifically relating to social distancing, environmental cleaning, hand hygiene and personal protective equipment.
Mediclinic has also implemented further policies to limit the risks related to Covid-19 across the hospital, including strict access control with symptom and risk factor screening for all staff, visitors and doctors, terminating elective cases and suspending visiting hours.
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A heightened level of vigilance of monitoring and risk mitigation against possible Covid-19 transmission has been put in place at the hospital.
Mediclinic has also implemented human resources policies and procedures to address healthcare worker exposure, testing and infection, including the appropriate use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in accordance with the NICD and WHO and recently published National Department of Health IPC guidelines.
All staff at Mediclinic has been provided with appropriate PPE in order to mitigate the risk of nosocomial spread.
In addition to the PPE, all areas considered a risk are also being deep cleaned and disinfected.
“The Covid-19 pandemic poses a serious challenge to South Africa and its citizens and Mediclinic is committed to playing our part in supporting the National Department of Health where required,” said Dr Smuts.
“We have implemented firm measures within our hospitals to reduce the risks in our facilities, such as temporarily suspending visiting hours as well as terminating all elective cases to reduce the movement of people during lockdown.
“Our advice to any individuals exposed to Covid-19 is self-monitoring and self-isolation with testing warranted if symptoms develop.”
Since 1 March Mediclinic Highveld has performed 1 625 tests for Covid-19 and 22 patients tested positive.
Since the pandemic begun, 19 patients with Covid-19 were admitted to Mediclinic Highveld for care, but currently there are only eight patients with Covid-19 at Mediclinic’s facilities.
Any Covid-19 patient who requires medical support from Mediclinic Highveld, would be accommodated in an isolation unit where nursing staff that are trained and equipped to manage the patients according to the level of care the illness requires, can take care of patients.
The majority of patients who tested positive for the virus are referred to go home for self-isolation, where they can recover in the comfort of their own homes and monitored telephonically by their respective primary healthcare providers.
The management team at Mediclinic encouraged anyone who is experiencing signs and symptoms of the disease, such as shortness of breath, fever, a sore throat and couching or if they think they have been exposed to the virus, to contact their healthcare providers.
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