Wednesday, April 22, 2020

Elmustee Community Hospital COVID-19 Guidelines

Elmustee Community Hospital (ECH) takes the safety of its staff very seriously.  Our healthcare workers are our warriors that are needed to fight the pandemic we are dealing with.  Considering that a lot is still unknown about the new Corona virus, the statistics received so far clearly indicate that COVID-19 infection is lethal for people with a weak immunity system--this includes the elderly, the physically frail, and those with chronic health issues. At the same time, it is heartening to note that hundreds of thousands of people have recovered from COVID-19 infections; these in general were individuals with robust immune systems.

Based on the information available to us at this time, the Elmustee Community Hospital has come up with the following guidelines to protect the health and wellbeing of its heroes:

1.    At the ECH, the COVID-19 patients will be treated in the special COVID-19 isolation wards.
2.    The COVID-19 isolation wards will be negatively pressurized, and the movement of air shall be away from the healthcare workers.
3.    The roofs of the COVID-19  isolation wards will have a minimum of 60% skylight coverage.
4.    Only healthcare workers aged 20-60 with no pre-existing conditions will be allowed to work in COVID-19 isolation wards.
5.    Healthcare workers working in the COVID-19  isolation wards will minimize the risk of being infected through proper use of PPE that will include full body impermeable suits, face masks, and shoe covers.
6.    Healthcare workers will limit their time in the COVID-19 isolation wards to a maximum of 15 minutes in an hour.
7.    No healthcare worker working in the COVID-19 isolation wards will be allowed overtime. [COVID-19 has a special appetite for exhausted healthcare workers]