News

Screening streamlined at Mildura Base Hospital

Wed, 01 Jul 2020 21:40:00

A new thermal imaging camera is streamlining the entry process for more than 350 visitors, patients and contractors a day who arrive at the doors of Mildura Base Hospital.

Until recently, each person arriving at the hospital’s front entrance needed to have their temperature taken, as well as answer a series of COVID-19 screening questions.
But MBH COVID-19 Project Lead Leanne Dellar said new equipment had been installed in line with State and Commonwealth Government requirements.
“The hospital entry can be a busy place, especially during visiting hours, and during the morning and afternoon peak times,” Ms Dellar said.
“We have installed a thermal imaging camera so that everyone coming through the front entrance is temperature screened automatically.  So all of our visitors, contractors, clerical staff and outpatients coming to allied health and clinic appointments have their temperature taken really without being aware of it,” she said.
“It’s resulting in shorter wait times, which is great, and it’s less pressure on our staff, who can now concentrate on asking people the screening questions and explaining the process, if visitors are unsure of how the process works.”
Ms Dellar said the screening post had also been moved inside the building, to keep staff, community members and equipment out of the elements.
“The new system is working really well in terms of speeding up the process, but our primary objective is to keep everyone safe, and however hard we try, the process still takes time,” she said.
“We’d advise people who have clinical appointments such as allied health and fracture clinic that it’s best to come 15 minutes early to allow for any holdups that there might be.”
MBH Manager of Health Information Services Chris Compt said the rules around visitor admissions remained unchanged, in line with State Government Pandemic orders.
“The risk of contracting COVID-19 for people living in the Mildura and Mallee communities is low risk, but that certainly doesn’t mean ‘no risk’,” Mr Compt said.
“Particularly in the current school holidays, people are travelling to and from other areas where there are current outbreaks and where there is community spread.  That can put our patients at risk when they are at their most vulnerable,” he said.
“These are unusual times, and our screening teams are doing a great job. They have to deal with some challenging situations and we just ask people to be patient, and to understand our staff and Mildura Base Hospital don’t make the rules  – but we are obliged to abide by them.”
Pictured:  MBH Manager of Health Information Services Chris Compt, administrative support staffmember Sandra Langanke, Clinical staff member Lou Clohesy and MBH Patient Administrative Officer Faye Matulick