St. Michael's Hospital SARS Precautions: Media update
TORONTO, March 30 /CNW/ - In response to new information from the Commissioner of Public Security and the Commissioner of Public Health, St. Michael's Hospital is taking additional measures to ensure maximum protection for patients, staff and physicians. There is one suspected or probable SARS case identified within St. Michael's Hospital.
The reason behind the precautions is to ensure that we will be able to continue to provide essential patient care, by limiting movement in and out of the hospital as much as possible. The following measures are in effect until Friday April 4:
- Emergency, Medical Day Care, Dialysis, TB Clinic, Prenatal clinic (with limited daily access) will remain open.
- All elective inpatient and day surgery will be cancelled.
- Only urgent and emergent services will be provided in the following areas: Cardiac Catherization and Pacemakers, Medical Imaging, Cystoscopy/Lithotripsy, Nuclear Medicine.
- All outpatient clinics in the main hospital building (30 Bond), 61 Queen, 55 Queen or 38 Shuter and Family Practice Outreach to hostels and shelters are closed. There will be no physician office appointments in any of these locations.
- Visitors to the hospital will continue to be restricted to parents of pediatric patients and those visiting critically ill or palliative patients.
- Everyone moving through the hospital, including patients, authorized visitors, staff and physicians, will be required to wear masks at all times.
- All staff and physicians in patient care areas must wear full protective clothing at all times (mask, gown, gloves and goggles).
- As directed by the provincial government, St. Michael's cannot accept transfers from hospitals outside the GTA or in Simcoe County, or non-urgent transfers between health care facilities within the GTA.
- No volunteers or students should come to the hospital until further notice.
- All patients and visitors will enter and exit the hospital via the Queen Street entrance. Staff and physicians will enter via the Victoria Street entrance and exit via the Queen Street entrance.
- All patients, visitors, staff and physicians will be screened every time they enter the hospital and are therefore encouraged to minimize movement in and out of the hospital as much as possible.
- All receiving will be restricted to the receiving area on Shuter and Victoria Streets and will be limited to essential goods and servicesnecessary to run the hospital.
- A St. Michael's Hospital hotline has been set up for public inquires at 416-864-5005.
St. Michael's Hospital is committed to taking precautionary measures in order to protect our patients, staff and physicians, while ensuring that we provide the best possible care. We would like to thank the media and the public for their cooperation in helping us to meet this commitment.
For further information: Darlene Frampton, Director of Corporate Communications, St. Michael's Hospital, Telephone: (416) 864-5488, Pager via Locating: (416) 864-5431
For more information visit: www.health.gov.on.ca