New respiratory clinic opens on the Gold Coast

A new respiratory clinic has opened on the Gold Coast as part of the federal government’s COVID-19 health measures.

A CLINIC specialising in treatment of potential coronavirus cases and other coughs is serving as the front line of the pandemic in the northern suburbs.

The Upper Coomera respiratory clinic - run by Haan Health and established by Federal Government - is the second of its kind on the Gold Coast.

Two more will follow in the next week in response to the devastating coronavirus threat – one at Hope Island and the other at Nerang for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait community.

Dr Roy Kou, Dr Sonu Haikerwal, nurse Desire Prinsloo and Dr Katrina McLean

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Lead doctor and Hann Health co-director Dr Sonu Haikerwal said the clinic operated as a catch-all for coughs, colds and fevers, directing unconfirmed coronavirus cases away from the general population: “This means people presenting with symptoms, cough or other respiratory illnesses can come to a respiratory clinic like ours, meet doctors who will be in full Personal Protective Gear, get tested and treated.”

The patients would be asked to wait in their car, where their history will be record before they enter the clinic to be treated.

The new model allows patients to be treated by doctors, without putting others at risk of contracting the disease.

“This is the best example possible of infection control – infection control platinum,” Dr Haikerwal said.

“The information is fed back to the individual’s regular doctors, who can continue to treat the patient once tested.”

Dr Katrina McLean and Dr Sonu Haikerwal

Dr Haikerwal said the clinics were a proactive “catch all” to filter the virus.

“This means those attending other GP clinics for their regular medical needs like heart problems, chronic disease and other things won’t be sitting next to someone with a cold or runny nose.’’

The GP warned that while numbers of those infected by the coronavirus on the Gold Coast were low, the health sector had to stay vigilant.

“Respiratory clinics are a safety netting to detect the first instance of another outbreak,” Dr Haikerwal said.

“We are becoming more lax with social distancing and are coming to winter, there is no way to know where that one case could start up – then we are back to square one.

“We are in remission, we now need to do everything we can to prevent a relapse.”