Date                 :May 2, 2003

 

To                     : MDH Personnel

 

From                 : Assistant Hospital Director

 

Re                    : Policies and Procedures on declaration of SARS patients being confined in MDH

 

 

Premises:

 

  1. As much as possible there will be no admission of patients with probable SARS, SARS subject or confirmed SARS cases confined in MDH.
  2. Policies and procedures are needed on the declaration of SARS patients being confined in MDH, in case there will be, to prevent panic and protect the health of staff, patients and public.

 

Case definition:

 

  1. Patient under surveillance for SARS- patients with history of travel to high risk places and /or exposure to persons with possible SARS but without symptoms.
  2. SARS suspect patients- patients with history of travel to high risk places and or exposure to persons with possible SARS but with symptoms of high fever, respiratory syndrome, dry cough.
  3. Probable SARS patients- patients described under SARS suspect patients with laboratory findings and radiologic evidence of infiltrates consistent with pneumonia or respiratory distress syndrome on chest X-ray that increase the suspicion of SARS.
  4. Confirmed SARS patient- patients with a positive confirmatory tests of SARS

 

Policies and Procedures:

 

  1. Declaration of presence of SARS patients being confined in MDH will be made by MDH consultants of SARS (Dr. Melecia A. Velmonte or Dr. Cecilia Montalban).
  2. Declaration by MDH Consultant on SARS will be made known to all staff and the public at the soonest time possible at a bill - board placed at the entrance of the hospital.
  3. In the absence of any declaration of presence of SARS patient being confined in MDH, to prevent any panic reaction, No MDH, Staff and employees, except the MDH Consultants on SARS, shall mention the presence of SARS patients in MDH in whatever manner, inside or outside MDH. Doing so constitutes rumormongering and an act inimical to the stability of the hospital and therefore, is a ground for stringent disciplinary action by the MDH Disciplinary Action Committee. 

 

For strict implementation.

 

 

RITA WANNINGER

Assistant Hospital Director