Health Unions Call for Immediate Restrictions on Visitor Numbers at Auckland City Hospital
Two unions representing over 8000 frontline health workers, the New Zealand Resident Doctors’ Association and the APEX Union are calling for ADHB to immediately implement a visitor policy that excludes visitors except on compassionate grounds.
“At Covid Alert Level 4 nothing short of eliminating wherever possible the risk to our members of Covid 19 entering the hospital through the front door from the community is acceptable” said Advocacy Lead David Munro today.
‘The DHB is relying on asking screening questions to prevent Covid entering the hospital. That is simply not effective.’ Mr Munro continued. ‘Often people cannot accurately describe their symptoms, sometimes they may be asymptomatic, and, bluntly, sometimes they may not be entirely honest. The only sure way to screen visitors is to give them a Covid Test and put the test on the fast track for a result within two hours.’
APEX / NZRDA is seeking urgency for consultation with unions over a revised visitor policy to apply nationwide that ensures safety for our members at all Alert Levels.
ENDS
Contacts:
| David Munro
Advocacy Lead M: 027-276-9999 |
Dr Deborah Powell
National Secretary, APEX and NZRDA M: 021 614 040 |