Mackay Covid patient describes life inside ‘lonely’ virus ward
An immunosuppressed kidney transplant recipient in a ‘lonely’ Covid ward says there is ‘no way to describe that horrible feeling of not being able to get enough air into your lungs’. WATCH HER VIDEO DIARY
Mackay
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It is the loneliest ward in Mackay Base Hospital.
There is no laughter as staff go about their work, no nurses popping in and out of patient rooms and no hum of visitor chatter.
There is no busy nurses’ station with fresh flower arrangements and thank you cards as there are on other wards.
Instead, there is mostly silence. Interrupted only by the sound of the annunciator when a patient presses their nurse call button and the shift team leader’s phone rings.
Staff huddle around quietly reviewing patient charts, discussing cares and discharge planning.
>> INTERACTIVE MAP: Cases rise in all but two Mackay suburbs
The door to every patient’s room is closed. No one in, or out, unless you are providing patient care or cleaning.
There are no visitors unless they are there to see a loved one at the end of their life.
You would not want to be here. Until you had to be.
And, then, it would be the best place to be in the Mackay Hospital and Health Service to fight Covid-19 with the help of a team of doctors, nurses and allied health staff.
For patients such as a Charmaine Pangi, a 57-year-old Indigenous health worker from Bowen, room three was her home for five days.
The only people Ms Pangi saw face-to-face were doctors, nurses and cleaning staff.
The only outside sound she heard was the rustle of the plastic gown as a hospital worker knocks and prepares to enter her room.
“The only time I knew someone was coming was when I could hear the PPE and the knock to say they are coming in. It’s lonely,” she says, her voice breaking with tears.
“Thank God for the phone, it’s been my lifeline.
“It’s been a hard road but I feel so much better to have constant contact with family and friends. That and the companionship of your nurse helps so much.”
Registered nurse Dawn Medan is one of Ms Pangi’s favourites, saying she is considerate and compassionate, always taking the time to care
“Some nurses get in and get out, and they have a busy job to do and I understand that I’m not the sickest person on the ward, but I have really appreciated Dawn,” she said.
Nurse unit manager Sharyn Bird said trying to keep patients connected with family was one of the challenges of running a Covid ward.
“They are confined to their rooms because most are fairly ill and requiring oxygen therapy, and due to fatigue don’t have the strength to move around,” Ms Bird said.
“We are doing what we can to try to make sure patients don’t lose contact with their loved ones.
“Remaining connected to the outside world while you are unwell from this virus can give people the strength they need to keep going.”
Mackay Hospital foundation volunteers and occupational therapists are making activity packs of magazines, crosswords, puzzles, cards, pens and other bits and pieces to give to patients who are well enough to do them.
TVs are a work in progress to ensure each room has one, phone handsets are on order for patient rooms and radios have been supplied for patients who like to listen to news and music.
The wi-fi signal has been boosted to allow access to the Queensland Health network and the Virtual Health team has deployed a tablet on a mobile trolley so patients can video conference with their families.
The contact through a video chat is also reassuring for worried family.
“You can tell families their loved ones are doing well, however that visibility through video is reassuring, that can make such a difference for both patient and significant others,” Ms Bird said.
She has a long history of nursing frail and older long-term patients and knows all too well the importance of human contact and feeling loved.
“Contact with loved ones can motivate people to keep going. If they are isolated and deteriorating, they may feel like giving up,” she said.
“And if a person is going to pass away, we need to support end of life visits and with consultation and education to the families about PPE we will make this happen.”
With the arrival of the contagious Omicron variant, hospital staff worked quickly to establish the Covid ward in December.
Paget business M&P Services delivered a demountable toilet, shower and changing block within 24 hours of being asked.
Manager Bruce Forbes delayed the start of his Christmas break, cancelling a boat trip to the Reef to oversee delivery of the three buildings to ensure staff could stay safe while looking after Covid patients.
When it is time to go to the ward, staff change into scrubs inside one demountable building while using the other after their shift for showering.
After putting on a mask and face shield, these are fitted and checked for any leaks by using a mirror. Entry to the ward is restricted to those with swipe card access.
There are no drink or meal breaks on the ward, these must be taken outside as the virus is airborne, so masks cannot be taken off in the unit at all.
Ms Bird is in awe of her staff working in the ward, saying the imprint of the tight fitting N95 mask is visible long after it is taken off.
“It’s hot and sweaty work due to the use of PPE, the temperature in the ward is warmer as the ward airconditioning has been switched to pandemic mode, this is necessary to stop the spread of Covid-19 throughout the hospital,” she said.
Ms Bird said PPE was generally uncomfortable but necessary to keep staff and patients safe.
“With the constant wearing of PPE, some nursing have had blisters on the bridge of their nose, red and irritated skin,” she said.
“We are working with the staff to resolve these complications, and encourage regular hydration breaks, moisturising and to manage fatigue”.
Colleagues, too, have been supportive, with stocking the outdoor patio fridge with cold drinks, meals and even ice cream pizzas or sending coffee.
“While staff bring their own food, sometimes there is unexpected overtime, and you need an extra meal,” Ms Bird said.
“Colleagues are showing they care and understand the environment is isolating, these acts of kindness mean the world to us.”
She said while Covid nursing presented challenges staff were adapting well and demonstrating their resilience.
“Covid does not discriminate, it can affect us all,” Ms Bird said.
‘I didn’t want to go without my people around me’
There was more than one moment Charmaine Pangi thought she was done for as she struggled to breathe in the Covid-19 ward at Mackay Base Hospital.
Ms Pangi’s biggest fear was dying alone as she lay in bed sucking in as much oxygen as she could.
“I thought who would hear me gasping for breath? What a messed-up way to go, all on my own. Where’s my mob, my family and my friends?” she said.
“I knew I could press a buzzer and the nurse would come, but I didn’t want to go without my people around me.”
As an Indigenous health worker at Bowen Hospital, Ms Pangi said she was determined to use her experience to encourage others to mask up, and made a series of videos from her bedside.
“I thought I have to do something, I don’t care how it looks, I just need to tell people wear that mask properly. Don’t wear it under your nose – cover your mouth and nose,” she said.
“I always say with my job I practise what
I preach.
“Covid is a big thing and so many people in rural areas are blaze about it.
“If I can show what it’s actually like and what it does to you, people might realise how sick it makes you.
“I would have been gone if I wasn’t vaccinated.”
Her first symptoms were feeling hot and generally a bit “off” one afternoon before testing positive the next day. Within hours she was in an ambulance headed to Mackay.
“When I couldn’t breathe properly, the tightening in my chest was horrible, I’ve never had a feeling like this before. I’ve had chest pain and kidney pain, but this was something else,” she said.
Ms Pangi is a kidney transplant recipient and immunosuppressed, making her more vulnerable to illness.
“I’ve been to hell and back with kidney pain, but this Covid pain was something else,” she said.
“There’s no way to describe that horrible feeling of not being able to get enough air into your lungs.”
Ms Pang is an Aboriginal woman from Victoria who has called Bowen home for 30 years.
Her kidney transplant came from a living donor.
“He’s a Juru man from Bowen and is a traditional custodian, so my ties to Bowen and country here are strong,” she said.
Ms Pangi is now recovering at home with support from the virtual ward and says she is feeling better with fewer coughing fits.
The care of her community has also helped.
“Mike Brunker put a post on Facebook asking for prayers and support for me, and it made me feel so loved and cared for,” she said.
“And that’s the best thing about rural communities is that we all stick together no matter what. We share our love and our everything to help one another.
“I’m so grateful for everything, it’s been a long and lonely road to get home but there’s light at the end of the tunnel.”
What you need to know
■ The best way to avoid an admission to the Covid-19 ward is to be triple vaccinated – very few patients have had three doses
■ People aged 18 and over can have their booster dose three months after their second
■ The sickest patients have been those who are unvaccinated and people with other medical conditions
■ Sadly four people have died with Covid-19 in our health service and all of these have been aged in their 70s and 80s, with other health issues
■ Mackay Base Hospital has cared for all ages with Covid-19, ranging from newborn babies to people in their 90s.
■ The Covid-19 ward can accommodation up to 17 patients
■ Most patients stay for between three and five days
■ There’s a double room to keep family members together
■ There are plans for a second dedicated Covid-19 ward to open if needed
■ Most younger patients recover with oxygen and other treatment such as steroids and then transition to the care of the virtual ward in their own home
■ The virtual ward involves patients checking and monitoring their vital signs and receiving regular phone and video calls from medical and nursing staff
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