Hospital visits now only available to Obstetric and Paediatric patients

Visitations at the Dr D Orlando Smith Hospital in Road Town have been heavily restricted and will now only allow visits to two specialised categories of patients.

Making the announcement during a national broadcast on Thursday, March 26, Minister of Health Carvin Malone said these new restrictions are among many measures the BVI Health Services Authority (BVIHSA) has implemented in light of the territory’s first two recorded cases of the novel coronavirus.

He said: “All visitations at the Dr D Orlando Smith Hospital has been suspended with the exception of Obstetrics and Paediatrics, which are restricted to one designated visitor only.”

Incident Command System in place

Minister Malone also said that the BVIHSA continues to be on high alert and has fully implemented what he described as its Incident Command System.

With this system now in place, a number of new changes have come into in effect. These changes include the heightened presence of screening points at all the medical facility’s places of entry, including the main lobby of the hospital and at the old and new emergency room entrances.

Call ahead!

The Health Minister further advised persons feeling unwell to call their healthcare providers, rather than randomly turning up to the respective medical facilities to seek treatment.

He added: “Elective and non-emergency services are presently reduced to prevent gathering of numerous persons and to minimise risk of disease transmission to patients, visitors and staff.”

“The community clinics and outpatient clinics are utilising telephone follow up to keep track of patients with limited clinic access and services by appointment only,” Malone further said.

The minister said client-services staff will now be available outside the lobby area of the hospital to handle and treat persons presenting at that entrance.