radhica.sookraj@guardian.co.tt
Two more patients at Ward 6 of the San Fernando General Hospital have reportedly tested positive for COVID-19.
A source confirmed that the patients had tested positive but up to midday had not yet been transferred to COVID designated hospitals.
“I am very uncomfortable here. The ward is overpacked. The COVID patients are screened off,” the source said.
A patient said nurses are wearing a full hazmat to care for the patients.
“But what about the rest of us. We have to be using the toilet and I see the toilet is not being sanitized. All they doing is mopping the floor,” he said.
He added, “I feel very scared about staying here. I am at risk. I am afraid to use that bathroom. It has two bathrooms that we can use, They should allow the COVID patients to be transferred out.”
A medical source confirmed that the patients were COVID-19 positive and arrangements were being made to transfer them.
On Friday, the Southwest Regional Health Authority (SWRHA) advised all patients and relatives to contact its Customer Care department if they had concerns about COVID issues at the ward.
The SWRHA said it has no confirmed reports of these matters under review or investigation by our Infection Prevention and Control or Health and Safety Department, for any ward at this time.
“Our patient surveillance monitoring systems confirms that as of September 22, 2021 there is no COVID-19 positive patients at the ward areas in SFGH or SFTH, that require transfer to the parallel healthcare system.”
The authority said any patient after admission for a non-COVID related matter, subsequently found to be COVID-19 positive as an incidental finding, based on a decision to test as may be medically required before certain procedures, is promptly isolated and immediately transferred to a designated parallel facility.
The SWRHA said after the triage screen by the Emergency Department, the admission to the wards and management on the wards follow strict health and safety, as well as Infection and Prevention protocols.
“Attention is paid to all, whether staff, patient or visitor on wearing face masks, adequate patient spacing on the wards, the limit of visitors to one person per day as per national policy, use of screens between beds and regular sanitation of all common use areas.”
The SWRHA said all protocols are scrupulously adhered to and there is no evidence of any spread of COVID-19 amongst patients at any wards, which has been the case with approximately 70,000 admissions at this facility, from March 2020 to the present.