The number of patients diagnosed with COVID-19 is increasing. Therefore, „red zones“ are being created in hospital wards, where strict epidemiological measures are in force. The catastrophic situation in Italy, Spain, England, the USA... has shown how important it is to protect hospitals. If health workers become infected, who will treat us? If whole wards are quarantined, where will we put the patients?
ADRA was quickly tasked with building lightweight partitions (filters) of lexan to separate the red zones and protect patients and hospital staff.
By taking early and strict quarantine measures, we have „bought time“ in Slovakia to prepare health workers and hospitals for the influx of coronavirus patients.
The initial intention - to isolate one whole ward for patients with covid-19 was good until a parturient with coronavirus turned up. Immediately we had to deal with zones in gynaecology. Gradually, red zones emerged in surgery, central admissions, internal medicine, intensive care units, psychiatry... Everywhere that tested positive.
Our hospitals - like hospitals everywhere in the world - are not built to have infectious zones in every ward. The medics here now have to work for hours in their suits.
The construction of temporary filters must comply with both epidemiological and fire protection standards. Therefore, before we started work, we searched for optimal solutions and suitable materials together with the crisis staff, firefighters and hygienists.
ADRA prepared the solution, the hospitals created the conditions, the sponsors provided the money and we were ready to start. In some wards it was easy because we managed to prepare the zones before the covid patients arrived. Elsewhere, we had to hit a time when the ward was „clean“ and no one was quarantined.
The most difficult task was to implement a glass barrier for the central console in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Infectiology Clinic in Bratislava, Kramary, where patients diagnosed with Covid-19 lie, connected to ventilators with artificial ventilation. We had to work in full operation, so we got to experience how sweaty one gets in the suit and how careful one has to be with every movement... The coordination with the ward staff was great. The challenging task was accomplished and we created a „white zone“ in the „red ward“ for the doctors and paramedics. Now they can observe their patients from behind glass and only have to dress in overalls when they go into direct contact with patients during examinations and procedures.
Measures in central hospital admissions were also important, where, in addition to emergency care, patients with suspected covid-19 must first be separated and others and staff protected.
These were difficult days and nights for the medical staff and for our ADRA team. But we are happy that the developments in Slovakia have confirmed to us that it was not a wasted effort. Together we saved the medics, the hospitals and most importantly the patients. We helped to separate zones for hospitals in Bratislava in Kramary, Ružinov and Petržalka and we took the experience further...
If someone today - with hindsight - dares to claim that it was an unnecessary fuss for a few patients etc. he certainly never worked in a hospital during the time of quarantine, dressed in a spacesuit. And besides, I consider it to be a denigration of the work of both the medical staff and the volunteers who have put up positive numbers for Slovakia. The heroes of these days deserve our appreciation.
All of this was made possible thanks to the financial support of the EPH Foundation and a number of small donors.
Thank you, friends, for helping us to help.
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