What happens when a patient is admitted at Windsor Regional Hospital with what looks like Ebola?
Staff found out this morning during a mock drill at both the Met and Ouellette campuses when Gail Bradford arrived by ambulance saying she was vomiting, had diarrhea and had just returned from Africa. Even for the mock patient, Bradford admits it was nerve-wracking. "My blood pressure went up in there," she says. "Just the thought, even saying the word."
By Bradford's assessment, staff performed their jobs well, and she was all too happy to help. "Everybody's flying everywhere and who knows what people are bringing in," she says. "We all go on holiday in totally different countries now from what we ever did before."
Dr. Paul Bradford, an emergency physician, says it's one thing to have a plan on paper, and another to put it into action. "Normally we do heart attacks and strokes," he admits. He says observers are carefully assessing staff's response to this emergency, looking for even better ways to respond in future drills. "Is that the best hallway to use? Were we able to keep all the other patients safe? Were we able to get all of our staff appropriately dressed?"
"We've sort of got guidance from the province on screening people that come in to make sure we identify that person. But I think we've got to be ready for the next step and to look after sick people."
