The province is in the grip of a third wave of Covid-19 infections, which has led the Department of Health to amend visiting protocols at its facilities.
“While we fully understand visitors and escorts play a significant role in the well-being of patients, we also need to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in our hospitals to save lives,” Natalie Watlington, department spokesperson, explains. All visits will be of limited, or a short duration, one visitor at a time and at the discretion of the ward or relevant manager.
Specific arrangements have been put in place:. In hospitals, primary health care (PHC) outpatient clinics and Emergency Units, no escorts are allowed except for:
– One escort for paediatric patients, for disabled (physical and intellectual) and enfeebled patients and for special circumstance patients.
– For terminal patients a few family members or loved ones may be allowed to be present.. In acute, intermediate, chronic and specialised hospital adult wards (general, high care, ICU) and the psychiatric and intellectually disabled hospital’s acute and chronic wards, Covid-19 and any Persons Under Investigation (PUI) can not receive visitors.
However, exception include:
– Terminally ill Covid-19 patients, one designated visitor who will be required to wear full PPE.
– A few family members or loved ones may be allowed visit terminal non-Covid/PUI patients. . In acute hospital paediatric wards
– One parent or caregiver may remain with the admitted paediatric patient (whether patient has Covid-19 or not) in the ward and assist the care team. Only one of either parents, or caregiver, may be designated to remain at the bedside, and only that person is allowed to be present in the ward.
– For Covid-19 and PUI patients the parent/caregiver must wear full PPE and follow all ward protocols.
– For terminal patients a few family members or loved ones may be allowed to be present at the discretion of the ward manager. . In neonatal wards:
– Mothers will be encouraged to remain with or regularly visit the baby. No visitors are allowed, except for one visit by a designated birth partner shortly after birth.
– For terminal patients a few family members or loved ones may be allowed.. In labour wards
– No birthing partners are allowed in the labour ward or the theatre precinct.
– Birthing partners are allowed to remain in the waiting room and staff will communicate regularly to the birthing partners to keep them updated on the progress of the labour and to bring messages of encouragement from the partners to the women in labour.
– Soon after the baby is born and the mother has been transferred to the quieter postnatal ward, the partner should be allowed to briefly visit mother and newborn, and briefly visit the newborn in the neonatal unit.
Residents must note any exceptions may be cancelled or changed at short notice depending on the capacity of the health facility as it is impacted by Covid-19 infections.
