The National Referral Hospital (NRH) is still operating in an emergency mode. Medical Superintendent, Dr. John Hue says they have adjusted visiting hours and made restrictions in the number of visitors to the hospital.
Hue says these measures are made in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now visiting hours have been moved to 7am to 8am and 11am to 12pm. This is to ensure that visitors do not disturb the nurses and doctors while they carry out their routine checks on the patients.
He also made a call on parents not to bring their children to the hospital to visit sick family members.
“For visitors, do not come with the full family. Because of COVID-19 we do not want people coming in and moving to places they are not supposed to”, Hue says.
The hospital has an admission of 80 to 95 percent patients daily. Hue says despite being in emergency mode, the hospital is still quite full.
“We encourage our people to go to the HCC clinics or GP if it is not urgent. This is for the nurses or doctors to attend to them there”, Hue says.
“We do not encourage unnecessary visits because of the new disease that we have with us”, Hue continues.
The control measures implemented are said to improve clinical care to patients. NRH is the only hospital that provides tertiary health services in the Country.
At the same time restrictions are also made on gatherings at the mortuary.
Hue says family members are only allowed to go to the morgue for viewing but not to gather in groups as has been the norm.
“You have to do that before six in the evening. Otherwise you will be turned back”, Hue says.