In God Is Our Health,In God Is Our Help
INTRODUCTION
Mercy Women’s Catholic Hospital has constituted a 9-member Rapid Response Team for COVID-19 to plan and coordinate the preparedness of the facility towards the prevention of the spread of COVID-19. The team has set up sub-committee (teams) to help prevent the spread of the Coronavirus outbreak on Friday March 13, 2020. The teams are of the Communication Team, Screening Team, Infection Prevention and Control Team and Suspected Case Management Team. This is to ensure that any suspected case of the coronavirus is managed by following accepted and approved protocols.
Objectives for the Preparedness are to ensure:
- Health Education of both staff and clients
- Early Detection, Isolation and Confirmation
- Stop Human to Human Transmission
- Care for the sick
SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES
Protection of staff
- The staff have been assured though various forum.
- Staff Durbars have also been organised to educate the staff on corona virus, infection prevention methods as well as practical use of ppe’s.
- Hands washing materials, infra-red thermometers as well as hand sanitizers have been provided at designated areas for staff.
- Ppe’s have been made available for frontline workers.
Protection of patients and clients
- Pre-triaging area has been set up with all the necessary ppe’s and equipment
- Wards have been decongested
- Hand washing facilities (e.g. Veronica buckets have been provided at vantage places).
- Long review date have been given to chronically ill patients
- The sitting arrangement at the OPD have been spaced out
- Number of visitors have been restricted to one relative per patient
- Laminated cards for patients relatives have been provided
- Distribution of Masks to patients exhibiting respiratory illness have been carried out
EDUCATION OF GENERAL POPULATION
- Education at Market places, offices etc.
- Health education about COVID 19 on radio stations
NAMES OF COVID-19 RAPID RESPONSE TEAM MEMEBERS | ||
DR. TACKIE IAN | SNR. MEDICAL OFFICER (CHAIRMAN) | |
THERESA CRENSTIL | SNR. NURSING OFFICER | |
EMMANUEL ADJEI SEKYERE | PRIN. BIOMEDICAL SCIENTIST | |
AWULLEY LELEN AMINA EMMANUELA | SNR. BIOMEDICAL SCIENTIST | |
JOSEPH AIKINS | SECURITY OFFICER | |
ELSIE AKPENE AMEGBE | NURSING OFFICER | |
LISA-TURKS ARTHUR | NURSING OFFICER | |
ROSE MANTEY | SNR. NURSING OFFICER | |
FREDERICK ATO QUAINOO | HEALTH PLANNER | |
MARTHA AMOAH | ADMINISTRATOR | |
NAMES OF SUSPECTED CASE MANAGEMENT TEAM | ||
DR. JUSTICE OSEI | MEDICAL DIRECTOR | |
DR. SILAS AMPONSAH | MEDICAL OFFICER | |
MERCY L. ACHAW | NURSE MANAGER | |
MATILDA YORMESOR | EROLLED NURSE | |
ESTHER ABAIDOO | STAFF NURSE | |
EDWARD KWAKYE | STAFF NURSE (COMMUNITY) | |
RITA DOE | SNR. STAFF NURSE | |
AGNES AIDOO | SNR. STAFF MIDWIFE | |
JUSTICE WIREDU | STAFF NURSE | |
BENJAMIN SOWAH | BIOMEDICAL SCIENTIST | |
RICHARD ENCHILL | ORDERLY | |
THE SCREENING TEAM
The screening team’s major responsibility is to ensure surveillance and case identification. In respect of this, the team has established split screening centres. The pre-triage and screening processes are for early identification of patients and staff with signs of acute respiratory infection and those who meets the case definition of COVID-19. The screening team has established 3 (three) points of access at the facility for the screening process. The facility has mounted these screening centres at the North Gate, Main gate and entrance to the Public Health Unit.
Patients and staff going through the screening process would be safely segregated based on symptoms. Those exhibiting symptoms of acute respiratory infection would be given face mask and educated on coughing etiquette. Further investigation would be carried out using the screening tool which incorporates the case definition. The facility has established a 24/7-hour team of 10 (ten) staff ensuring continuous screening process is done.
The case definition documents on the disease have been developed and the team provided with infrared thermometers and appropriate PPEs (Personal Protective Equipment). Each of the 3 (three) screening centres have hand washing stand and sanitizers. The team has ensured that patients and staff that do enter the facility wash their hands before they are screened. Monitoring of the screening process and distribution of other logistics that needs to be replaced were also done by the screening team.
The team organized training for the security men to also help in the screening process. The team has been ensuring that we have the surveillance system that enables anyone who enters the facility to go through the screening process.
THE COMMUNICATION TEAM
- Health Education at the facility – At the facility level, education on the Covid-19 pandemic begun at the OPD on the 13th of March, 2020. The health talk focused on how to help curb the spread of COVID-19. Talks on hand hygiene, coughing and sneezing etiquette and the need to ensure social distancing have been on-going at OPD and the various wards. The facility has provided written materials as notices to educate both staff and patients on the COVID-19.
Education on hand hygiene and prevention of the spread of COVID-19 with the staff was held on 16th of March, 2020. The team have provided guidelines and information on COVID-19 to the Wards in-charges to ensure regular health education at the wards and at OPD. Case definition and information on coronavirus have been displayed on all notice boards and other places that are accessible to patients and staff. Health Education to the in-patients at the various wards is on-going.
- Public education outside the facility
The communication team gave health education talks on COVID-19 on Wednesday March, 2020 to help educate the public on the Covid-19 Pandemic. Through observation and situational assessment in Mankessim, it was noticed that the public were putting on hand gloves and facemask without using them appropriately. The communication team paid a visit to the following places to educate them on COVID-19 pandemic:
Date | Place | Activities |
18/03/2020 | Drivers at Accra Station | Health Education on COVID-19 |
18/03/2020 | Nananom Taxi Rank | Health Education on COVID-19 |
18/03/2020 | Melcom Super Market | Health Education on COVID-19 |
18/03/2020 | Police Headquarters | Health Talk on COVID-19 |
18/03/2020 | Coastal FM | Health Talk on COVID-19 |
24/032020 | Odooms Ventures | Demonstration on hand washing |
25/03/2020 | Market Place (Mankessim) | Demonstration on hand washing |
27/03/2020 | Kingdom FM | Health Education by Dr. Felix Bowuo and DHMT |
Impact on the previous health education delivered was observed. Nananom station have mounted a washing stand at their station and Melcom super market adhering strictly to hand washing procedures, ensuring that anyone who enters the shop wash their hands.
Health education on COVID-19 will be done regularly by the communication team.
INFECTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL TEAM
- Provision of hand washing stand and sanitizers
The team have made hand sanitizers available in the facility by preparing them locally and distributed to the various wards, and units. The team made available hand washing stand to the 3 entry points at the facility. Washing stand have been provided at OPD for patients. Additional hand washing stands have been made available at Male Ward and Eye Clinic unit. The team will ensure that additional hand washing stands are provided in front of each unit.
- Disinfection at the facility: Regular cleaning of the facility using disinfectant are being done on daily basis.
- Availability of Hand washing basins: All wards and department have hand washing basins with constant running water. Poly-tanks and other containers are filled as back- up.
- Availability and usage of PPE: Education on the use of PPE for preventing the spread of coronavirus outbreak have been done for the staff especially on the use of the face masks and gloves.
- Ensuring social distancing: Visitor restrictions by ensuring that patients have one visitor at each point in time. ID cards for patient relatives have been provided to ensure that the number of patient relative is restricted. The team has also ensured that patients sit 1-2 (one-two) metres apart from each other. The team in collaboration with management have considered using less staff so that in the event of staff getting exposed to COVID-19 there shall be other staff to hold the fort.
SUSPECTED CASE MANAGEMENT TEAM
The case management team is responsible for ensuring that patients or staff who meets the case definition of COVID-19 are given the needed care until the case is confirmed. In respect of that, the Case Management Team has ensured that the facility has an isolation centre or holding area designated for a suspected case victim of COVID-19. The team will notify the Public Health Unit when there is a suspected case. The Public Health Unit will then notify the Medical director of the facility and the District Rapid Response Team. The suspected case management team will take care of the case until it is confirmed. When a confirmed case is recorded the team will support the District Rapid Response Team to move patient quickly to the designated COVID-19 treatment centre in the region.
- Readiness of Isolation Centre
Readiness of the Isolation centre is still on-going. The holding area is well ventilated and has adjoining dedicated toilet facilities. The place has restricted access and distant from crowded areas. PPE’s and other available logistics have been made ready by the Case Management Team to the isolation centre.
- Area to Quarantine Staff
The facility has made a place available to quarantine staff that comes into contact with a victim of a suspected case of COVID-19. The area has two (2) separate places designated for male and female staff.
- Contact tracing
Emergency numbers from the facility have been provided and made accessible to the public. Car registration and contact number of drivers will be taken when there is a suspected case. The communication team together with the Public Health Unit will lead in the contact tracing of a confirmed case.
UPDATE FROM THE DISTRICT HEALTH DIRECTORATE
The team from the district paid a visit to the facility on Wednesday, March 18, 2020 to find out about our preparedness and what we have been doing in-line with the onset of disease in Ghana.
The National Catholic Health Secretariat (NCH) also paid a visit to the facility on March 19, 2020 to check on our preparedness towards the COVID-19 pandemic. Report from NCH has been attached.
INNOVATIONS
- Hand sanitizers were locally prepared by the team.
- Child Welfare Clinics and other Clinics have been reviewed to ensure that the facility limits the number of patients that report to the facility.
- Review date for patient that are not severely ill will be prolonged if management approves.
CHALLENGES
- Inadequate logistics and PPEs
- Jessica Ventures did not avail themselves for health education when the team paid them visit after given them prior notice.
EMERGENCY CONTACT NUMBERS
The following are the district and facility level emergency numbers
Designation | Level | Phone Numbers |
Municipal Director | District | 0243753694 |
District Disease Control Officer | District | 0245755815 |
District Disease control officer | District | 0244734405 |
Public Health Nurse | Facility | 0244030525 |
Nursing Officer | Facility | 0242261775 |
Health Planner | Facility | 0279407600 |
Medical Officer | Facility | 0208730716 |
