Advise to people visiting hospitals: Don’t evade medical care fearing Covid-19 patients

• System in place to prevent normal patients or hospital staff members from interacting with patients with symptoms

By Sheain Fernandopulle  

People who seek medical treatment at hospitals, should not be afraid of coming into contact with Covid-19 patients, Chief Epidemiologist Dr. Sudath Samaraweera said yesterday.  

He told the media that there was a system or process in place called ‘triage’ which would prevent normal patients or hospital staff members from interacting with patients with Covid-19 symptoms.   

“Under this system, patients with Covid-19 symptoms are identified at the Out Patients Department (OPD) itself. Such patients are immediately directed to a separate unit and treated accordingly,”  Dr. Samaraweera said.  
“Therefore, patients, who arrive at hospitals for treatment, should not be afraid of getting infected with Covid-19 as there is a proper mechanism in place to protect them from Covid-19 patients,” 
he stressed.  

Meanwhile, Dr. Samaraweera said the issues prevailing with PCR testing in Sri Lanka, had now been sorted out and therefore the PCR tests are being carried out to its maximum capacity.  

“There were delays in releasing PCR tests results due to the malfunctioning PCR machine at the Mulleriyawa Hospital. However, the machine has now been fixed and examining of delayed PCR tests is underway,” 
he added.