In recent months, the Famagusta General Hospital has been in the spotlight of the whole of Cyprus as the Coronavirus Reference Hospital. The staff that staffs it was on the front lines of the battle against the pandemic, with personal and family risk and cost. The Referral Hospital was found to house the panic, anxiety, sadness, loneliness of patients transferred there as incidents COVID-19. Feelings that were replaced by others, those of relief and joy during recovery and happiness upon their departure with witnesses doctors and nurses.
The Scientific Director of the Hospital, Amalia Hatzigianni, talks in an interview with KYPE about the work and offer of the Reference Hospital, about their patients, their staff and their struggle.
In her statements, Ms. Hatzigianni was asked to report the symptoms of the patients being transported to the Referral Hospital and said that "initially they show mild symptoms, including cough, fever and runny nose. "Unfortunately, this virus is insidious and can at any time worsen the clinical condition of patients and cause respiratory problems."
Regarding the procedure followed by the medical and nursing staff, with the arrival of a patient with coronavirus at the Reference Hospital, he replied that "with the arrival of the specially designed ambulance, all the necessary and necessary protection measures were taken and are still being taken. Then a medical examination is performed and a laboratory test is taken, while depending on the findings, the patient receives the appropriate medication ".
He added that "after the first contact, the patient is introduced and approached and, where necessary, psychological support is offered".
Asked what was the psychological state of the patients, he replied that "everyone was possessed by fear and panic, while the same feelings were experienced by other citizens of our country and not only, especially in the first days of the coronavirus pandemic. Patients were still anxious about tomorrow if they could overcome the virus, insecurity, sadness and grief while the worst feeling was the loneliness they experienced during their treatment, as they could not have them close and hug her. family and their own people, since they were in isolation ".
Ms. Hatzigianni also referred to the way doctors and nurses treat patients with coronavirus, saying that "everyone in the hospital embraces these people with love, patience and humanity as if they were their family, brothers and children. "Apart from the medical and nursing role, they also had the role of supporting these people while listening to their problems and encouraging them to fight the disease and emerge victorious."
The Scientific Director of the Referral Hospital was also asked about the way in which the doctors and nurses reacted when they were informed that they would offer their knowledge and services to people who were diagnosed with coronavirus.
After stating that "the beginning of the pandemic was an extremely difficult situation for everyone", he added that "we were called to carry out a difficult mission. Anxiety, fear and uncertainty about whether we would succeed, even prejudice, were the emotions that overwhelmed all of us who were called to work in these difficult conditions. However, the sense of responsibility, obligation and offer for our fellow human beings, helped us in the smooth outcome of this hard battle ".
He added that "the hard work, the offer but also the unprecedented solidarity and teamwork of the staff in these difficult times, alleviate the emotional charge, fear and nostalgia of everyday life. However, the initial fear that prevailed if we would succeed, had turned into a torrent of enthusiasm and love and all together with sensitivity, camaraderie and teamwork we managed to emerge victorious from this test as well ".
Regarding the situation of the doctors and the nursing staff, who work many hours a day with patients diagnosed with coronavirus, Ms. Hatzigianni noted that "this is a difficult mission, everyone is working under difficult conditions, however little by little everyone has eliminated the fear that prevailed at the beginning of the pandemic. What excites me the most is the excessive love and dedication to the duty shown by the medical, nursing and paramedical staff ".
All together, he continued, "we worked day and night to complete this difficult task. The staff, who worked at the Covid - 19 clinics, ie 30 doctors, 125 nurses, 25 paramedics and 40 hourly staff, sacrificed their personal and family lives in this battle and we all worked with zeal and self-sacrifice. "Today we have only four patients with coronavirus, with one person being admitted to the Intensive Care Unit, while a total of 11 admissions and 148 discharges were given on March 127, when the Referral Hospital started operating."
To a related question he answered that "the treatment and treatment of patients with coronavirus is a challenge for the doctors and nurses of the Referral Hospital and nothing can be replaced by the joy and relief we all feel every time the patient is discharged. "After each discharge, all the staff, apart from the feelings of joy and emotion from which they are overwhelmed, feel stronger to continue with greater zeal this battle against the coronavirus".
Regarding the feelings of the patients who emerged victorious from this battle and were discharged from the Hospital, Ms. Hatzigianni said that "there was an exchange of their feelings. They felt emotion, gratitude for the people who supported them in the difficult times they went through, while there were many who cried when they came out of the doors of the Hospital ".
In another question, Ms. Hatzigianni replied that "from the first moment of the unprecedented pandemic, we had an excellent and exemplary cooperation with the Ministry of Health. It was thanks to this collaboration that the Famagusta Hospital was staffed as a Reference Hospital with medical staff from all specialties, the necessary and required equipment and consumables, so 15 days before the evacuation of the Hospital we had everything at our disposal ".
He added that "before the pandemic started, proper planning was done in time and from the beginning, so that we could treat patients with coronavirus. Our warm support throughout the pandemic was the General Director of the Ministry of Health Christina Giannaki, whom we all thank warmly, as she was by our side 24 hours a day and showed great zeal in solving any problem, from medical staff to specialists.
Ms. Hatzigianni described the General Director of the Ministry of Health as "the guardian angel, of the doctors and the staff of the Hospital, of the Reference Hospital itself but also of the patients who were treated. Our supporter in the difficult struggle that we gave and continue to give, is also Dr. Christos Kypris, specialist physician, Coordinator of the doctors at the Reference Hospital, to whom we also express our warm thanks ".
He also noted that "those patients who were hospitalized at the Referral Hospital and had nowhere to go for the isolation they had to undergo, were transferred to the Eden Resort Rehabilitation Center in Tersefanou. "People who were repatriated to Cyprus were also taken to the Rehabilitation Center for isolation, who tested positive for the coronavirus when they arrived at the airport, so that they would not go anywhere else and spread the virus."
To date, 103 people have been referred to the Rehabilitation Center and 70 have been discharged.
The Scientific Director of the Hospital was asked whether with the resumption of the operation of the public Hospital of Famagusta, the patients had reservations to visit it knowing that people with coronavirus had been treated.
The doctors of the Hospital and the population of the Province, said "he was looking forward to the reopening of the Hospital, so there was no dilemma or obstacle for the patients to return. "From the first day of the restart, we invited the patients to come for their appointments and treatments and we do not see any fear or prejudice on their part and they come to their appointments normally."
Source: philenews