LATEST: Coronavirus Zimbabwean woman readmitted at Wilkins Hospital in Harare

A 27-year-old Zimbabwean woman who was suspected to have Coronavirus and was last week quarantined at Wilkins Infectious Diseases Hospital is reported to have been readmitted at the hospital for close monitoring.

STATEMENT ON THE HANDLING OF THE SUSPECTED COVID-19 PATIENT AT PARIRENYATWA GROUP OF HOSPITALS

We wish to confirm that the patient who was originally isolated at Wilkins Hospital for suspected COVID19 presented at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals on 26 February 2020. The patient was brought in by the City of Harare to our Mental Health Hospital where it was decided that the patient had to be seen by a physician first. The psychiatrist followed up the patient and attended to her in our Casualty Department. Since consultations with the City of Harare were continuous throughout the process, the two parties eventually resolved that the patient should be referred back to Wilkins Hospitals where she is currently admitted for comprehensive evaluation and treatment.

The City of Harare who isolated and facilitated tests on the patient indicated that the patient had tested negative 3 times. The first test was done in China, the second in Zimbabwe and the third was done in South Africa.

We wish to advise members of the public and our stakeholders that we have done everything within our capacity to protect our staff and patients from the potential infection. A substantial number of our clinical staff have attended the training on case management for the COVID-19 which was facilitated by the Ministry of Health and Child Care and partners. The hospital has a Rapid Response Team in place which comprises clinicians and administration staff. The team has proved to be effective after handling previous epidemics given all the tools required.

After receiving a report of the patient referred above, the Chief Executive Officer and the Acting Clinical Director have immediately called for a meeting with key departments to review how the case was handled and to assess the hospital’s preparedness to handle similar cases in the future. The meeting resolved the following:

• The whole of Casualty should be regularly disinfected following WHO guidelines. The exercise to start with immediate effect.
• The few outstanding items on the order for protective clothing should be expedited.
• Standard Operating Procedures and Protocols for Casualty should be strictly adhered to.
• The Rapid Response Team should improve in their communication.
• A screening tent should be set up outside casualty so that any suspected case is immediately referred to Wilkins Hospital.
• The hospital shall not attempt to handle any suspected case of an infectious diseases as it is statutorily a responsibility of either Wilkins Hospital or Beatrice Road Infectious Diseases HospitalThe above measures have been put in place to minimize the potential mix of suspected patients with staff members and other patients.
  Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals continues to monitor emerging information on COVID-19 and is determined to do everything possible to safeguard it patients and staff.

PRIRENYATWA GROUP OF HOSPITALS