Hospital struggling to maintain normal operations

By LULU MARK
THE country’s biggest hospital is struggling to maintain normal services with the high Coronavirus (Covid-19) transmission rate, a doctor says.
Port Moresby General Hospital (PMGH) director of medical services Dr Kone Sobi said a memorandum was issued to conduct surveillance and testing on everyone who entered the hospital premises, but it was exhausting for the limited staff doing the testing.
He said that within two days, 14 per cent of those who visited the hospital were tested positive for the Covid-19.
“They didn’t know that they were positive,” he said.
“Some of them didn’t have symptoms. The bottom line is that there is widespread community transmission.
“People who have the virus don’t know. They move around and spread it to the community.
“Once the virus gets to the vulnerable people, they get sick and come to the hospital. Unfortunately for some, the progress might not be good for them.”
He said there were 70 deaths in two weeks at the hospital which was “quite a lot”.
On average, five or six deaths a day were Covid-19-induced.
The Covid-19 isolation unit with 19 beds was full.
The medical ward (1B) which has a capacity of 48 now has 95 in it in the past two and a half weeks.
“We also have the emergency department which right now is filled mostly Covid-19 patients,” he said.

He said the tents at the car park were full of patients waiting to be admitted.
The Nightingale Covid-19 centre at Taurama has 30 beds which can be increased to 60. Bu then it all depends on available manpower.
“We really need nurses and doctors so we can adequately provide medical and clinical care to the patients that are admitted,” Dr Sobi said.