Bahrain - A simulation exercise for suspected cases of coronavirus was held for medical personnel at the country’s military-run hospital.
The GDN exclusively learned that the three-hour simulation, which took place at the BDF Hospital on Wednesday, trained medics on preventative measures from receiving a patient from the airport to the final stage of isolation.
It was part of precautionary preparations that began at the hospital last week and included setting up a Monitoring and Control Committee and creating a contingency plan to prevent the spread of the deadly virus, according to infectious diseases consultant Lieutenant Colonel Dr Manaf Al Qahtani, who is the head of the infection control unit at the BDF Hospital.
The SARS-like virus originated from the Chinese city of Wuhan and has so far claimed the lives of 170 people and infected more than 7,700.
“We conducted a three-hour simulation exercise on Wednesday at the Crown Prince Centre for Training and Medical Research, which is a fully-equipped centre and we aim to train every single person in the hospital to be prepared for a potential outbreak,” said Lt Col Dr Al Qahtani.
“We never had an outbreak, thank God, but it’s important to have a drill and practice.
“This is crucial because these simulations show us the gaps and allows us to draw up an air-tight plan.
“We simulated the entire process of receiving a patient from the airport to the final stage of isolation.”
Lt Col Dr Al Qahtani told the GDN yesterday that contingency steps cover the hospital’s emergency services, healthcare centres, clinics and the intensive care unit.
“The first question we wanted to tackle was if a person shows up at the hospital door with the disease, how can we receive him and isolate him from the rest of the patients,” he explained.
“We put into place steps while ensuring it is done in a calm manner to prevent a panic.
Protocols
“Our goal from this plan is to ensure the safety of our medical personnel and at the same time ensuring the patients and visitors are kept safe, which is why it was important to specify entry points and limit them.”
He said the hospital has also prepared medicinal stocks, gloves, masks and equipment, as well as personnel on hand to respond should an emergency arise.
A separate store with a sufficient supply of equipment has also been made available, with the Monitoring and Control Committee alerting personnel of the protocols if a suspected case is detected.
“We have also isolated a wing which is distanced from the clinics and patients wings but near the ICU to limit moving the patients and this wing is completely equipped and prepared,” added Lt Col Dr Al Qahtani.
He also reassured the public that authorities were proactively taking steps to combat the deadly virus, stressing the importance of remaining calm and receiving information from credible health officials.
“Chances of this virus entering Bahrain is very low in my opinion and the first point is the incubation period of this disease which is roughly three to five days – this is the period the human acquires the virus in his body without causing symptoms,” he said.
“(Also, authorities are) working hard and there’s nothing to hide, yes we don’t know everything yet and we have limitations, but we are working and you can guide us.”
Meanwhile, an urgent meeting was held yesterday with representatives from the Health Ministry, the BDF Hospital, the King Hamad University Hospital and Salmaniya Medical Complex.
It was chaired by Assistant Under-Secretary for Public Health Dr Mariam Al Hajeri and included a briefing on regional and global developments regarding the virus outbreak, as well as details on a joint and integrated strategic plan to strengthen preventative measures for examination in all health centres and communication in line with World Health Organisation standards.
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