Vitebsk Regional Hospital has joined the fight against COVID-19, while continuing to provide specialized care
The Vitebsk Regional Hospital is the region's main inpatient facility, where approximately 35,000 patients with various diseases receive highly qualified and high-tech care annually. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the hospital is utilized for treating severe coronavirus patients. The chief physician of the institution, Andrey Andryushkin, told a correspondent of "VV" how the team is prepared for the second wave of the disease and how specialized care will be provided as the hospital transitions to an infectious disease mode.
The regional hospital began admitting COVID patients last week, and currently, 114 such individuals are hospitalized here. The urology department has been repurposed as an infectious disease hospital, as it was during the first wave. A team of specialists has been formed here, who already have experience in providing care to patients with the novel coronavirus.
– I believe the team heroically coped with the previous wave. When there was a large influx of patients, it was psychologically very difficult to work, especially since we encountered such a pathology for the first time. Doctors of various specialties provided assistance. Urologists, surgeons, physiotherapists, and rehabilitation specialists, after appropriate distance learning, became pulmonologists and infectious disease specialists. The mid-level and junior medical staff knew their jobs well. Towards the end, there was some tension and fatigue among the staff, so we tried to give them leave in the summer so they could rest and return to work with renewed energy. For those who had contracted coronavirus, trade unions helped them purchase sanatorium vouchers for recovery, – said Andrey Vladimirovich.
Experience in, one might say, extreme conditions has allowed for better preparation for the new wave. In the repurposed 180-bed ward, the distribution scheme for red and green zones has been improved. 14 oxygen concentrators have been received through humanitarian and sponsorship aid. In total, over a hundred oxygen connection points are provided at the hospital for the new surge in morbidity. The staff is fully equipped with personal protective equipment; this issue is under the personal control of the administration, which monitors the situation and constantly replenishes supplies. The same applies to medications used in the treatment of COVID-19 patients.
– It happens that COVID-19 patients require emergency care unrelated to the infectious disease. For this purpose, a special department has been organized in the urology ward, housing patients of various profiles, including surgical, thoracic, purulent surgery, as well as those needing hemodialysis. They are isolated to minimize infection risks in the main ward but remain under the supervision of specialized doctors, – added Andrey Andryushkin.
It is worth noting that the clinic continues to provide scheduled and emergency medical care to the region's population in its main areas – therapeutic and surgical – almost in full. Endocrinology, urology, and nephrology have been transferred to the main ward due to the repurposing of the urology ward. The flow of high-tech surgeries in cardiac surgery, eye microsurgery, joint replacement, etc., is not suspended.
For patient safety, the main building has two admission departments. One is intended for the hospitalization of scheduled patients who already have a negative COVID-19 test. The second is for patients admitted by ambulance, who undergo express testing and lung CT scans if coronavirus is suspected. The examination results determine the patient's further treatment plan. Thermometry is carried out at each entrance to the hospital. A primary daily examination for signs of the disease is also organized for medical staff in all departments.
– No one wanted the second wave, but everyone understood that it was inevitable. We are ready to do our job, treat patients with coronavirus infection, and at the same time try to maintain the volume of specialized care as much as possible, – summarized the chief physician on behalf of the entire team of the regional hospital.