Isolation and Infection Containment
Dedicated isolation wards with negatively-pressured rooms and
ante-chambers are available for suspected or infected cases of
Coronavirus (COVID-19). These are single bed rooms fitted with
specialised negatively-pressured ventilation systems to minimise
cross-infection and transmission. Such facilities are also available at
the Emergency Department. Specific gowning stations are assigned outside
these rooms for donning of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) and/or
Powered Air-Purifying Respirator (PAPR) by staff prior entry into the
isolation rooms and contact with the patients. This equipment will be
highlighted in another section. Furthermore, visitors are barred from
entry into these isolation wards to reduce the risk of transmission.
Moreover, there are dedicated operating theatres designated for COVID-19
suspected or confirmed cases.
During the transfer of suspect or infected pregnant mothers from the
triage-cum-screening posts, security personnel are enlisted to clear
transfer routes and secure a designated lift for exclusive use for the
patient. A dedicated Infection Prevention Nurse is also activated to
ensure that there is no lapse in infection prevention practices and to
avoid any potential breach in the infection containment process. These
lifts are later subjected to rigorous decontamination processes by
Environmental Services. All staff and personnel involved in the transfer
of these cases are to don appropriate PPE, namely N95 mask, eye
protection, isolation gown and gloves.
Once a suspect case has been detected at the triage-screening post, a
dedicated obstetric team on-duty will be notified to attend to the
mother and the on-call infectious disease physician consulted. Due to
the potential risk of cross-infection of this obstetric team, every
staff at our maternity centre is divided into several small teams to
cover the hospital’s obstetric clinical services. Each team is led by a
consultant obstetrician directing a team of clinicians and midwives. The
clinical roster was planned such that each team has minimal contact with
the other teams while ensuring continuation of clinical services.