A photo of my wife Nicole going off to work today as a triage nurse at an accident and emergency hospital, like thousands of others in healthcare who are not isolated or working remotely.
Our children and I have asked how are you going to keep yourself safe? Nicole explained that there are some processes in place and if people follow them, we will be OK.
Our children asked what happens if they don’t? We will still be OK.
What are
If you are feeling unwell, don’t go to the GP or hospital those in Australia contact 1800 020 080 or visit here. Organisations communicate this number to all your employees if you have not done so already!
Everyone who walks through the hospital's front door (volunteers, contractors, patients, visitors, nurses, doctors and allied health) are screened. Screening includes questions about overseas travel, known exposure to COVID-19 or anyone with flu like symptoms and temperature checks.
If there is anything they are worried about a mask is immediately placed on the person's face and a doctor called. The person is never placed in the waiting room to expose others.
Any pneumonia type presentations are screened in the same way and placed in private rooms.
These are the controls to manage the risk. There is a preventive control to keep people out of hospitals, a detective control and a local isolation control.
All healthcare workers are superheroes; they do this work as they love their colleagues and helping people. If you know a health worker, thank them today. Maybe send them a text message now. If you are an employer of a partner to a healthcare worker, why not follow AIB’s lead this week, they are to pay partners of healthcare workers who stay at home to care for dependants, read it here.
Finally, those bigger companies utilising services of smaller businesses consider how you can provide flexibility with their client work. Some of these people will have a partner who is a healthcare worker. Please continue with or reschedule prospect meetings and engagements remotely. After speaking with many small businesses this week, their client work is concluding, and prospect meetings are cancelled.
Together we are stronger.