In God Is Our Health,In God Is Our Help
PROTECTION OF STAFF
- Infection Prevention and Control training have been organized for staff
- Additional Ppe’s have been made available for frontline workers.
PROTECTION OF PATIENTS AND CLIENTS
- Pre-triaging area for the screening process has been intensified and provided with the necessary ppe’s and equipment.
- Additional Hand washing facilities have been provided at vantage places.
- The sitting arrangement at the OPD has been spaced out to ensure the spaces between patients are more than 1meter.
- One patient One relative policy still being enforced
- Distribution of Masks to patients exhibiting respiratory illness is always ensured.
EDUCATION OF GENERAL POPULATION
- Health education about COVID 19 on radio stations have been on-going
INTRODUCTION
This report emphasizes the preparedness and activities that are on-going with regards to Covid-19 at Mercy Women’s Catholic Hospital (MWCH) to help contain the outbreak and stop human to human transmission. The earlier report from MWCH indicated the various teams that have been put in place to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. The sub-committee constituted under the Rapid Response team of MWCH to help prevent the spread of the Coronavirus outbreak are working judiciously to develop the Public Health Systems to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The teams are of the Communication Team, Screening Team, Infection Prevention and Control Team and Suspected Case Management Team.
THE SCREENING TEAM
The team has been ensuring that we have the surveillance system that enables anyone who enters the facility to go through the screening process. COVID-19 Rapid Response Team organized an IPC training for the screening team which was held on March 3, 2020.The training was focused on appropriate use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE’S). The screening team has been tasked to be vigilant and ensure that everyone including the staff goes through the screening process. Monitoring of the screening process and distribution of tissue papers, hand sanitizers and soaps for hand hygiene are carried out daily.
THE COMMUNICATION TEAM
- Health Education at the facility –Education at the facility has been on-going at the OPD, Male wards, Female wards and other units. Talks on hand hygiene, cough etiquette and the need to ensure social distancing have been the focus in all health education. The facility has provided additional written materials as notices to educate both staff and patients on the COVID-19 with help from NCHS. The team together with IPC team held training for staff of emergency unit on 2nd of April, 2020.
- Public education outside the facility
Health education on COVID-19 on radio stations has been carried out at the two major local FM stations.
INFECTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL TEAM
- Provision of hand washing stand and sanitizers
Additional hand washing stands have been made available at other units. Ten hand washing stands have been provided so far to ensure that patients and staff access to regular hand washing facilities.
- Disinfection at the facility: Regular cleaning of the facility using disinfectant are being done on daily basis.
- Proper usage of PPE: Education on the use of PPE for preventing the spread of coronavirus has been done for the staff, especially the use of the face masks and gloves. IPC training on COVID-19 has been held at the emergency units.
- Ensuring social distancing: The policy one visitor to a patient instituted earlier on is being enforced.
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. Training for the Suspected Case Management team by the DHMT was held on Monday, 6th of April 2020.
RECORD OF A SUSPECTED CASE OF COVID-19
- Report from the Screening Team
A taxi carrying a patient and three other relatives (a man and two women) entered the facility through the emergency gate. On arrival the taxi was stopped and the people were asked to go through the hand washing procedure. Their temperature was then checked afterwards. Further questions were asked in accordance with the case definition protocol including the travel history.
Patient relative: “we are coming from Anomabo and have not been to Accra or Kumasi”.
There were signs of cough and respiratory distress. The screening team asked what was wrong with the patient.
Patient Relative: “she was suffering from high blood pressure (BP)”.
Temperature checked was 36.50C and was directed to the emergency unit for treatment.
- Report from Emergency Unit
The patient was admitted in the morning at around 10:40am with respiratory distress. The temperature at the ward was 39.70C and a relative later confessed that the patient had travelled from to Accra a couple of days. The staff on duty was instructed to adhere to basic infection prevention and Control Protocols by their in-charge. The COVID-19 Rapid Response Team Chairman was then contacted. At 9:11pm, the Chairman was called and informed about the case and that the patient relative (Mother) was not willing to give further information to questions asked. The emergency unit staff carried out the instructions from the Doctor who was on duty in taking care of the patient. The patient expired less than 24 hours on admission.
Contact with DHMT
Protocols were followed as the Medical Director was informed and he made contact with the DHMT as the patient met the case definition for Covid-19. On Monday around at 10:48am the DHMT came to the facility. DHMT took a while, but a sample was taken and sent to Noguchi. Thirteen staff of MWCH were quarantined. Seven staff were quarantined at the facility whiles six staff were self-quarantined at home.
Team from EPA were also contacted by the Medical Director to lead in the disinfection and fumigation of the emergency ward. Members of DHMT and COVID-19 staff carried out the fumigation.
In adhering to protocols, the family of the deceased were informed about the need to carry out investigation as the patient meets the case definition of COVID-19. They were also made aware that the body would only be released to them if the test from Noguchi came back as negative.
The Medical Director together with some members of COVID-19 Rapid Response Team met the Mfanstiman Municipal Health Director and a decision to preserve the body at the facility was taken while awaiting the results from Noguchi. The result came in the morning of Tuesday, 31st of March, 2020 at around 11:30am s negative. The family of the decease were informed and the body released to them. Result from the COVID-19 test was negative.
The quarantined staff were taken care of by the facility whiles they were waiting for the result of the test. They were asked to go home after the test came out negative.
CHALLENGES
- Patient relative gave false information to the screening team which resulted in them being taken to the emergency unit rather than the holding area.
- Patient relatives refused to assist in given further information to the staff on duty and COVID-19 Team.
- Patient relatives were making excessive and unnecessary noise at the facility and distracting work but calm was restored by the police.
TRAINING OF STAFF OUTSIDE THE FACILITY ON COVID-19
- Biomedical Scientist and a member of COVID-19 team from MWCH attended a workshop for Regional Level training of District Rapid Response Teams on 31st of March to 1st April, 2020.
- Training of Staff on Covid-19
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 |
