Hospitals across the country are repurposing buildings and training staff in preparation for admissions of Covid-19 patients, the Health Minister says.
In a statement today, David Clark said hospitals are well-prepared for a potential increase in Covid-19 patients needing hospital care.
“At North Shore Hospital in Auckland, an entire building has been repurposed - their former Elective Surgery Centre – so that Covid-19 patients can be cared for separately from other patients," he said.
The hospital’s Elective Surgery Centre (ESC) has been temporarily closed and converted into a dedicated Covid-19 ward, with 51 beds ready and waiting to treat infected patients.
This includes 37 ward beds and 14 additional intensive care unit (ICU) beds, more than doubling North Shore Hospital’s ICU capacity.
“The North Shore Hospital, and many other hospitals, have also been using the time provided by the lockdown and the reduced number of elective surgeries to prepare staff," Dr Clark said.
“Most DHBs are at around 50 per cent occupancy, and they have taken the opportunity to run intensive theatre training sessions to upskill staff on how to manage the particular needs of Covid-19 patients.
“These extensive trainings and simulations run by Intensive Care Specialists, mean that our doctors and nurses are ready to care for Covid-19 patients."
Further down the North Island, Capital & Coast and Hutt Valley DHBs are working with private providers to ensure that non-deferrable elective surgery can continue. These include some cancer and cardiothoracic surgeries.
“Facilities are also being adapted across both DHBs to assist with any escalation in the care provided. For example, at Capital & Coast DHB they have created special spaces for Covid-19 with the ability to change bed numbers, depending on demand”, said Dr Clark.
Latest Covid-19 numbers
It comes as confirmed case numbers are now just under 900, with 10 confirmed clusters.
The largest of these stems from Auckland’s Marist College, with 59 cases. Then Bluff, where a wedding was the source of 53 cases, 19 of these new in the past day.
In Matamata 49 cases were brought about at a St Patrick’s Party.
And having broken lockdown rules, Dr Clark has apologised to the Prime Minister after being caught driving more than two kilometres from his home for exercise – a decision contrary to police and Government direction.
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