Plastic tape divides potential COVID-19 cases from pregnant patients at Mater Dei

Matthew Agius

Medical staff at Mater Dei Hospital are up in arms, claiming vulnerable patients are being seen in a place shared with cases potentially infected with COVID-19.

Gynae and early pregnancy emergencies were previously seen in the “clean” area of casualty next to day-care. This has now been moved to the “dirty” casualty area as surgical operations are resuming at Mater Dei.

These vulnerable women were seen in the same ward area as sick and symptomatic patients who are in casualty awaiting their COVID-19 swab results. The waiting area where these women are told to wait to be seen is a five-minute walk away from the new gynae emergency room, and they have to pass through the red zone area where staff are using protective equipment (PPE).

“This is less than ideal if someone is bleeding or in pain, as is most often the case with early pregnancy complications or miscarriages,” a staff member said, on condition of anonymity.

There is no separation of pregnant patients from those potentially infected, and the toilet facilities are shared by both clean and dirty area users, sources told MaltaToday.

The door to this ward leads directly on to the donning-and-doffing station where staff members take off dirty PPE. There is no desk or computer for doctors, who must instead share these with the “dirty” ward.

“The bottom line is that this is not safe for the patients, or us,” one staff member said.

Contacted by MaltaToday, Walter Busuttil, the medical director at Mater Dei Hospital explained that the arrangement was temporary and came as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Doctors are not seeing known COVID-19 patients in this room,” Busuttil said.

“All of the emergency areas have shared toilets. We try to make sure that they are cleaned regularly.  All doctors and nurses have access to PPEs. We recommend to all our staff to wear PPEs for patient contact whenever the COVID-19 status is unknown and whenever the risk might be high.”

There were plans to improve the facilities for the obstetrics and gynae room in the near future, he said. “Please note that the A&E department has been split into different areas because of the COVID-19 pandemic and we are still trying to improve these facilities. Part of the A&E department was recently (Tuesday) moved from what used to be the endoscopy unit to another area since this unit is now being used for endoscopy again.”