Open AccessPreparing healthcare facilities to operate safely and effectively during the COVID-19 pandemic: The missing piece in the puzzle
Author(s) -
Lynne Wilkinson,
Shabir Moosa,
Richard Cooke,
Alexander Müller,
Tom Boyles
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
samj. south african medical journal/south african medical journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.527
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 2078-5135
pISSN - 0256-9574
DOI - 10.7196/samj.2020.v110i9.150
Subject(s) - personal protective equipment , medicine , pandemic , health care , social distance , covid-19 , triage , medical emergency , hygiene , infection control , transmission (telecommunications) , intensive care medicine , disease , infectious disease (medical specialty) , engineering , pathology , electrical engineering , economics , economic growth
The stated objective of the COVID-19 lockdown was to allow time to prepare healthcare facilities. Preparation must include administrative and environmental measures, which when combined with personal protective equipment, minimise the risk of the spread of infection to patients and healthcare workers (HCWs) in facilities, allowing HCWs to safely provide essential services during the pandemic and limit the indirect effects of COVID-19 caused by healthcare disruption. We present our model for facility preparation based on colour-coded zones, social distancing, hand hygiene, rapid triage and separate management of symptomatic patients, and attention to infection transmission prevention between HCWs in communal staff areas. This model specifically addresses the challenges in preparing a facility for COVID-19 in a low-resource setting and in rural areas. In addition, we include links to resources to allow workers in low-resource settings to prepare their facilities adequately.