Waverley Private: Staff take no chances on coronavirus with prem babies
A Monash hospital is taking extra steps to protect the most fragile of patients — premature babies. And it’s won the support of one anxious mum.
East
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Waverley Private Hospital is taking no risks with premature babies born during the coronavirus pandemic, with visiting rights restricted to parents only.
The hospital’s special care nursery is set up especially to look after premature babies until they are well enough or developed enough to be discharged.
Parents are having their temperature checked and washing their hands before being given access to the nursery to visit their precious babies.
Inside the nursery, hand sanitiser is used every time a baby is to be touched by staff or parents.
And for Mum Toula Raucci, who described having son Jonah born prematurely on May 11 as “an emotional rollercoaster”, the measures taken have been reassuring.
“He’s in the right place. I was concerned with COVID-19 but it gave me closure speaking to (hospital staff) because they were prepared and had a system in place,” she said.
Ms Raucci, of Rowville, said having access to livestreamed antenatal classes through Waverley Private had also been reassuring.
“It’s nice to be in your own environment but the interaction and confidence you had afterwards was also really important,” she said.
Ms Raucci said she was hoping to Jonah home next week.
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Waverley Private maternity services manager Lisa Young said more than 100 staff had been tested for the disease with parents re-screened every time they visit the special care nursery.
She said the hospital had so far not treated anyone infected with coronavirus.
“Every time those parents return from outside the hospital they are re-screened at the front door with temperature checks and screening questions about their health,” she said.