LOCALS who test positive to COVID-19 can now receive treatment closer to home, with the opening of a dedicated COVID-19 ward at Western District Health Service (WDHS).

Increasing case numbers, hospitalisations and workforce challenges across the Victorian healthcare system, have led to the opening of the new ward at Hamilton Base Hospital this week.

WDHS chief executive, Rohan Fitzgerald says WDHS medical and nursing teams have been heavily involved in planning for this scenario for some time.

“Our team have been training and preparing for the opening of a local COVID ward since early 2020,” Mr Fitzgerald said.

“The ward was refurbished into a training facility over 12 months ago, to support nurses to undertake the Bachelor of Nursing program through CQUniversity.

“Although developed as a training environment, when planning the refurbishment, we anticipated there might be a need to provide hospital beds locally for COVID-19 patients and we gave ourselves the option to make it a live clinical environment. “In hindsight that was the right call.”

The eight bed ward has a separate air supply and testing has shown that it meets the COVID-19 ward design guidelines for the number of air changes each hour.

The ward is restricted access only and isolated from other acute areas of the hospital.

Air filtration devices have also been installed in the corridors leading into the COVID-19 ward to improve air quality in these areas.

WDHS Director of Nursing, Lorraine Hedley says the ward will be used to manage all COVID positive patients.

“It will be available, not only for people who are unwell due to COVID-19, but others who test positive, but are hospitalised due to a broken leg, ruptured appendix, trauma or other condition,” she said.

“If patients require ICU treatment they will be transferred to larger hospitals in Geelong or Melbourne.”

To support critically ill patients, WDHS has purchased ventilation hoods, so that patients can be ventilated safely.

“The ventilation hood provides a protective barrier in an environment where pressurised air is going into a patient’s lungs via the ventilator.

“The hood also ensures that any contaminated air from the positive patient is contained within the hood, which minimises the risk of transmission to staff and other patients,” Ms Hedley said.