Northern Territory’s first coronavirus pandemic clinic opens at Royal Darwin Hospital

THE Territory’s first coronavirus pandemic clinic has opened at Royal Darwin Hospital this morning

Staff at the the Northern Territory's first coronavirus pandemic clinic which opened at Royal Darwin Hospital this morning. Picture: Luke Hayes

THE Territory’s first coronavirus pandemic clinic has been opened at Royal Darwin Hospital.

The clinic is the NT’s first to open as part of a Territory pandemic plan, with other clinics to open soon in Palmerston, Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Katherine and other regional centres like Nhulunbuy.

Deputy NT Chief Health Officer Di Stephens could not today confirm when the other sites will open.

“We are beginning to prepare for the virus, if and when it comes into our community,” Professor Stephens said at the official RDH opening this morning.

“At the moment, there is no community spread of the virus in the Northern Territory.

Prof Stephens reiterated that if people feel as though they are at risk, they should isolate themselves before consulting a GP.

Patients of concern will then be referred to the pandemic clinic at RDH.

The Northern Territory's first coronavirus pandemic clinic opens at the Royal Darwin Hospital

Another way to access the clinic is to call the public health unit at Top End Health, where people can talk with a clinician who will then determine whether or not patients should attend the pandemic clinic.

Prof Stephens asked memebers of the public not to just front up at the clinic if they are feeling unwell, think they are unwell or just want to be tested.

“We ask the community to not just show up here because they think they might want a test,” she said.

“We are only testing people who meet the case criteria, that have a definite reason why they might have COVID-19 disease.”

The RDH clinic is intended to relieve pressure from general practitioners.

Testing will be done at the RDH Pathology Laboratory, with results usually available within 24 hours.

The Territory has one confirmed case of coronavirus, a 52-year-old tourist from Sydney who is in isolation at RDH.

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More than 100 coronavirus tests have been carried out in the NT so far, all of which have been negative before the 52-year-old man’s positive result.

The new RDH clinic has a phone number on the front door to call in order to access the building.

Although the health department could not confirm when the other clinics will be rolled out across the Territory, Dr Stephens assured the public that there was no imminent need as there are no cases currently presenting anywhere else in the Territory.

“We are all working as quickly as we can, there is no need at the moment for clinics in those areas because there has not been any positive cases apart from one positive case in isolation in Darwin,” she said.

The Northern Territory's first coronavirus pandemic clinic has opened at Royal Darwin Hospital this morning. Picture: Katrina Bridgeford

“As the pandemic evolves if the virus gets into our community, we will have those facilities ready to stand up.

“We need to do business as usual, we have to use our health staff to look after Territorians right here, right now with their other illnesses and health issues.”

The clinic will not house any confirmed COVID-19 cases, but will only serve as a site to test potential carriers of the illness.

Testing will be done in Darwin lab where results will take up to 24 hours to come back to health professionals.

Tested patients will be told to return home, isolate, and then wait to be contacted for their results.

“If someone tests positive, we will manage that with our clinical protocols,” Prof Stephens said.

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“At the moment, if you are very sick and are needing care, you will be taken into the Emergency Department at the Royal Darwin Hospital.

“This clinic is not for the very sick, but for relatively well people, and people who have perhaps contacted COVID-19, to test whether or not they have the virus.”

A remote public health plan for pandemic management has been sent to Aboriginal community health officials around the Territory last night, Prof Stephens said.

“It’s been sent to all of our remote and rural health colleagues,” she said.

“All of our front line clinicians now have that remote public health plan upon which to build their local plans.

“We’re also developing clinical algorithms to give to remote health centres so that they can have bases — they don’t have to reinvent the wheel, they’ll have all the materials they need.

“As the situation evolves, some of that clinical detail changes.”

Health Minister Natasha Fyles said she had been in conversation with the Northern Land Council and regional shire mayors to discuss pandemic management plans for Aboriginal communities

“The regional areas and our vulnerable populations of Aboriginal Terriotirans is a focus,” she said.

There will be a meeting on Thursday with stakeholders from remote and regional health centres to discuss the challenges involved in the logistics around potentially having to isolate, quarantine and test people in rural areas, and then potentially needing to transport them to Darwin.

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The 52-year-old tourist who still remains the Territory’s only confirmed case of coronavirus is being treated in isolation at RDH.

Two people who were seated next to the man on his flight, and then went on a fishing trip to Maningrida, isolated themselves earlier this month.

An NT Health spokeswoman said the fishermen were well and posed no risk to the community.