Coronavirus: Mt Druitt Hospital has no testing clinic, patients wait outside childrens’ ward
Sources at a Sydney hospital are outraged at how NSW Health is dealing with the coronavirus, revealing no testing clinic has been set up and potential victims wait outside a childrens' ward.
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Concerned sources have sounded the alarm on NSW Health’s handling of the coronavirus at Mt Druitt Hospital — revealing a testing clinic has not been set up and potential victims are being housed in the corridors outside the paediatric department.
A source said Mt Druitt Hospital was “completely forgotten” and not provided with a testing clinic to identify coronavirus patients.
“A community, who is financially disadvantaged, has been forgotten and they are forced to come to the emergency department for testing,” the source told NewsLocal.
“Once again Mt Druitt is under resourced and has extra pressure on its emergency department with additional presentations.”
The source said a barricade is all that protects parents and young, sick children from sick patients standing outside the ward.
“We should have a clinic as multiple GPs are sending patients to our emergency department,” the source said.
NSWNMA general secretary Brett Holmes said the situation at Mt Druitt Hospital “needs to be reassessed”.
“If there is no designated clinic there, then keeping people in corridors awaiting assessment before redirecting them to Blacktown for testing does not make sense,” Mr Holmes said.
“It’s causing an excessive workload problem and unnecessary risk to both staff and other patients.
“The Local Health District needs to fix this urgently.”
Mr Holmes called on NSW Health to “either have a proper clinic or don’t have one at all and redirect people”.
“Having people waiting in corridors, in front of the paediatrics emergency entrance and using staff restrooms, is on anyone’s assessment poor infection control,” he said.
Opposition Health spokesman Ryan Park said it was clear additional resources were in desperate need at Mt Druitt Hospital.
“Adequate funding needs to be injected into local hospitals now, rather than waiting until we are at the peak of this health crisis,” Mr Park told NewsLocal.
“Mt Druitt has been left out and forgotten again, much like other parts of western Sydney when it comes to health.
“That is not good enough in a health crisis and the density of population in Western Sydney”.
A Western Sydney Local Health District spokeswoman said the health district has two COVID-19 clinics at Blacktown and Westmead.
“Dozens more will open across the State when and if needed,” she said.
“Patients who attend the Mount Druitt Hospital emergency department are being tested for COVID-19, if they fit the current criteria.
“Emergency Departments across the state are also performing testing.”
on Monday, NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant said the coronavirus “is an evolving situation and we are constantly monitoring, and where required, adjusting our resources in response to demand”.
“The COVID-19 clinics are for people most at risk such as those with respiratory symptoms or fever, those returning from overseas or in contact with a COVID-19 case, or people like our health workers,” the spokeswoman said.
“We do not want these clinics swamped with people who are not in the high risk groups or we can possibly delay results identifying those most vulnerable.
“Mount Druitt Hospital has strict infection control measures in place for the emergency department and its treatment spaces and obviously our focus is on keeping staff, patients and visitors safe.”
The spokeswoman said there was “no risk” to paediatric patients coming into contact with anyone in the treatment space of Mount Druitt emergency department.
“To protect our hospitals as we respond to COVID-19, we encourage people to contact their GP or call healthdirect,” she said.