Surgery in a Hospital today

Running a little late with the post. I had day surgery yesterday. That was an interesting experience.

It was not elective surgery, so it was still performed even with the corona virus. (Covid19). The hospital is actually shut down. However, on a positive note, the city has a population of almost 100,00 people and only six corona virus cases so far. There are no cases in the hospital.

During this time there is only one entrance open into the hospital. The other entrance has been blocked off and locked. When you enter the hospital there is a guard who direct you into one of are two lanes. In one line you’re only allowed in if you’re there for tests or surgery. No visitors. There is hand sanitizer everywhere. You are given a verbal Covid19 questionnaire, temperature is taken and then you are allowed to go to registration.

The inner lane is for staff. Every staff who enters the hospital, or if they leave and return for any reason, must have an appropriate ID, have their temperature taken, use hand sanitizer and answer verbal questions on the Covid19 virus. The middle of the hospital is barricaded off, so you enter down one side and depart down the other side.

Everything is dark and closed on the main floor. At registration you place your photo id and care card on a tray so the person can see it but not touch it. You are then given your forms and told where to go, but no one accompanies you.

There is only emergency surgery and the day surgery room which holds about thirty or more beds, only had five patients when I was there. Most of the departments are open, Xray, c-scan, mammography, MRI, labs and operating room (OR).

When discharged they take you down to the exit door. No one can come in and up to the floor to pick you up.

As with the rest of the world, everything has changed since the corona virus has it us. In this area people are staying-at-home, staying 2 metres (6 feet apart), and washing hands frequently.