INFECTION CONTROL

Policies based on international and local infection prevention and occupational hygiene practices

Home Patient & Visitor Info Infection Control & Covid Policy

Infection prevention and control (IPC) measures include an assessment of how infections can spread, and how they can be stopped as well as more detailed recommendations for known pathogens, including the Covid-19 virus.

WHO IPC Guidelines

What are our Standard Infection Control Precautions?

COVID-19 Status

Be aware that visiting rules at Midlands Specialist Private Hospital can change at any time. This is dependent on directives and orders from the Department of Health.

WHO COVID Guidelines

NICD Covid Guidelines

 
 

COVID-19 Policy Purpose

The MSPH COVID-19 Policy has been developed based on international and local infection prevention and occupational hygiene practices and recommendations. It outlines our approach to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Our focus is on protecting our people, including employees, patients, doctors, clients, outsourced service providers and clinical support services. Therefore this Policy is written with the aim of:

  1. Enabling our business to implement measures to identify and mitigate risks related toCOVID-19;
  2. Timeously identifying and managing persons with signs and symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 infection;
  3. Ensuring that all exposed employees are screened and/or tested, where necessary, for COVID-19 and those who are confirmed positive are referred accordingly for treatment and reported to the relevant authorities in line with legislation; and
  4. Communicating, in an appropriate and transparent manner, all information related to COVID-19 and the measures implemented to manage the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is the responsibility of each stakeholder at MMC to familiarize him/herself with the content of this Policy and any further amendments thereto, as published from time-to-time.

Scope

This Policy provides guidance on preventing the spread of COVID-19 in our buildings, facilities and premises and the issues to address when dealing with infected persons. This Policy must be communicated to and understood by all employees, patients, doctors, customers, outsourced service providers and clinical support services.

References

  1. Occupational Health & Safety Act, 85 of 1993.
  2. Department of Employment and Labour, COVID-19 Occupational Health and Safety Measures in Workplaces COVID-19 (C19 OHS), 2020, No. R. 2020 – Directive by the Minister of Employment and Labour in terms of Regulation 10(8) of the Regulations issued by the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs in terms of Section 27(2) of the Disaster Management Act, 57 of 2002 (Government Gazette, RSA, Vol. 658, No. 43257).
  3. Disaster Management Act, 57 of 2002.
  4. COVID-19 Guidelines for Case Finding and Diagnosis Management, V2, 10 March 2020. e) NICD COVID-19 Environmental Health Guidelines, V1, 16 March 2020.
  5. Guide for the Management of Staff in Healthcare and Laboratory Settings with COVID-19 Illness and Exposure, V9, 31 March 2020.
  6. NICD Daily Symptom Monitoring Tool, V7, 5 May 2020.
  7. Guidelines for Quarantine and isolation in relation to COVID-19 exposure and infections, V1, 5 May 2020
  8. Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), Quick Reference for Health Workers, V13, 15 May 2020.
  9. Clinical Management of Suspected or Acute COVID-19, V4, 18 May 2020.
  10. DOH & DOL Walk-through Risk Assessment, V1, May 2020.
  11. DOH & DOL Worker COVID-19 Risk Assessment, V1, May 2020.
  12. MMC COVID-19 Process & Tool Reference Guide, V4.
  13. MMC Risk Management Work Procedure, V2, May 2020. o) MMC Health & Safety Work Procedure, V2, May 2020.

COVID-19 Leadership

Our group has appointed leaders within our organisation. Our Group Managers, Nursing Manager, Unit Managers and MANCO team are appointed in this. The appointed COVID-19 Leaders must be communicated to all employees. Responsibilities of COVID-19 Leaders include, but are not limited to:

  1. Leading the implementation of this Policy, with support from hospital management teams.
  2. Constituting COVID-19 Coordination Committees, overseeing and providing direction to these structures.
  3. Addressing employee or workplace representative concerns and keeping them informed.
  4. Consulting, where Health & Safety Committees are operational at MMC facilities, with the committee members on the nature of the hazard in the workplace and the measures that must be taken.
  5. Conducting, together with management teams and employee representatives, a COVID-19 specific risk assessment to ensure that employee and workplace safety risks have been identified and addressed.
  6. Ensuring that COVID-19 prevention, health and hygiene measures, as set out in this Policy, are complied with.
  7. Ensuring that COVID-19 processes and tools are complied with.
  8. Ensuring that non-compliance to the measures stipulated in this Policy are addressed and corrective action implemented without delay.