By Phyllis Mbanje
SEVENTY staff members at the Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals have tested positive for Covid-19 since last month, prompting the country’s largest public health institution to tighten its admissions policy.
The hospital yesterday said 60 Covid-19 positive patients had been admitted at the institution since June 9 while eight deaths were recorded from those admitted at the Covid-19 red zone centre.
At least 13 of the bodies that were taken to the hospital also tested positive posthumously.
Hospital authorities said the spike in cases of infected staff members had forced the institution to only admit emergency cases while those that were already in hospital wards would be tested for Covid-19.
“All staff and patients will be assumed Covid-19 positive unless tested and confirmed otherwise,” said the hospital.
For the very dire surgical emergencies, which cannot wait for the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test results, they will be swabbed, but operated on with all relevant measures being taken with the assumption of being positive until proven otherwise.
“Resources permitting, all patients should be tested for Covid-19 before admission into the wards,” the hospital added.
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“Those who test positive before admission should be admitted directly to the Covid centre,”
The hospital noted that the rise in community transmissions was indicative of the fact that health care workers can potentially transmit the virus to patients and their families.
Last week it emerged that 200 health workers, including doctors and nurses, had tested positive to Covid-19.
Parirenyatwa has the biggest Covid-19 treatment centre in the country with a bed capacity of 425.
Lenos Dhire, the hospital’s spokesperson, said even though emergencies are always a priority, they were operating under pressure due to the ongoing strike by nurses.
Health workers, including nurses’ have been on strike for over a month now over poor salaries and lack of personal protective equipment, which they say exposes them to Covid-19.
“Despite the difficulties, Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals endeavours to provide emergency care for those who need the services,” Dhire said.
