The new measures recently announced by King Faisal Hospital management on access to the hospital will not hamper their ability to handle emergency cases, the hospital’s management has explained.

On Thursday, August 20, the Hospital, announced new restrictions on visiting hospitalized patients as well as new procedures of admission of patients. They said that the move was to reduce their vulnerability to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Among the new measures include that only two alternating caretakers who have tested negative for Covid-19 are allowed to visit a hospitalized patient.

Clarifying the measures, Prof Emmanuel Nkusi a neurosurgeon and Head of Doctors at the facility told The New Times with confirmed cases in Kigali, the facility has taken measures to reduce its vulnerability and consequently maintain its ability to provide services.

He added that in recent weeks, a few hospital staff had been confirmed positive hence the measures.

However, even with the measures, the hospital remains open to emergency cases and has set protocols to ensure that they are served without heightening vulnerability.

Among the changes at the facility include that emergency cases will be received with an assumption that they are Covid-19 positive.  This will see them handled by staff taking all necessary precautions such as masks, Personal Protective Equipment among others.

Nkusi said that the emergency department has also been modified to ensure that staff receiving emergency cases are well protected and the patients do not have interaction with the rest of the hospital.

Henceforth, among the tests that will be taken for arriving patients include a Covid-19 test. Patients found to be negative will be treated normally while those found to be positive will be referred to treatment centres.

The hospital is also in the process of completing a massive testing exercise for all patients, staff and caregivers at the facility to further reduce the vulnerability. 

At the moment, the testing cost is taken care of by the hospital but this is likely to change in coming days on depletion of the test kits currently available with the costs likely to be transferred to patients.

Nkusi allayed fears that the new measures would hamper services delivery noting that if anything, it would improve the confidence in the facility as there will be adequate measures to manage the pandemic.

The measures are in line with the Ministry of Health guidelines as well as the World Health Organisation.