In less than 24 hours, a ward of 19 beds on floor 3C of Hospital da Luz Lisboa was equipped to receive COVID-19 patients that were interned at Hospital Professor Doutor Fernando Fonseca (Amadora-Sintra), in order to help this unit solve the challenges it is facing, due to the pandemic. Right now, assistance to these users of the National Health Service (SNS) is insured by teams of both hospitals, in a partnership of unprecedented characteristics in Portugal, between public and private hospitals. The availability of this Hospital da Luz Lisboa ward to help the SNS to meet the needs of internment of Covid-19 patients, had already been expressed by Luz Saúde, in meetings held with representatives from the Ministry of Health and the Regional Administration of Health of Lisboa e Vale do Tejo (ARSLVT), viewing the organization of resources to respond to the pandemic crisis. This is a ward of 19 rooms (4 of which with negative pressure), on floor 3 of HL Lisboa new building, that was “on standby” for when it was necessary to enlarge the internment capacity for COVID patients, until now only concentrated on floor 5 of the same building, with 58 beds, all of them occupied. The request from Hospital Amadora-Sintra to occupy this HL Lisboa ward came in, late Tuesday evening, January 26, in the scope of the plan that unit had to implement, to transfer about 100 COVID patients to other hospitals, as a way of unburden its oxygen supply system to wards, that was overburdened. As of 11 p.m. of that very day, HL Lisboa immediately mobilized its teams – nurses, doctors, pharmacists, IT technicians, infrastructures, maintenance, equipment, provisioning and human resources –, in order to equip the ward on floor 3 and create the conditions for the Amadora-Sintra professionals to work in. The details of the transfer of patients were agreed in a meeting early the next day, between representatives of both units, that remain in constant contact: Anisabel Soares and Pedro Patrício (HL Lisboa head nurse and director of operations, respectively) and, from Amadora-Sintra, Rui Santos (head nurse), Fernando Aldomiro (director of the Medical Service 2), Marta Jonet (internist) and Patrícia Fernandes (head nurse of the Medical Service 2). Great team spirit and collaboration As of 3 p.m. January 27, HL Lisboa started receiving the patients from Amadora-Sintra, transferred in the majority by INEM ambulances, but also by firefighters’ emergency vehicles of Algueirão, Queluz and S. Pedro de Sintra. The transfer was concluded around 6 p.m. These are less serious cases, but all depending on oxygen or non-invasive ventilation (NIV). In the meantime, 4 of the patients already returned to Amadora-Sintra (since they have no more need of oxygen or NIV) and other 4 came, the 19 beds of the ward being fully occupied. The medical and nursing assistance, as well as the support of medical auxiliaries is ensured by the team from Amadora-Sintra – which, in order to guarantee the needs of healthcare 24 hours a day along the week, comprises 6 doctors, 29 nurses and 13 auxiliaries –, permanently supported by a responsible nurse from HL Lisboa. After 5 p.m., it is up to HL Lisboa to ensure the medical assistance, the nursing remaining under the responsibility of Amadora-Sintra. All medical needs, such as laboratory analyses, imaging exams, clinical consumption and medications, as well as meals, are ensured by HL Lisboa services. “The articulation between our team and that from Amadora-Sintra, since the first contact, has been very good, with a great spirit of team and collaboration, which enabled us to overcome the eventual difficulties” , comments Anisabel Soares (in the centre, in the photo above, with HL Lisboa and Amadora-Sintra nurses). “When I arrived here in the morning of January 27, our responsible nurses of the hospital’s several services, of Risk Management, of GCLPPCIRA and elements of the other directions, were already preparing and organizing everything. The delineation of circulation circuits inside the very service (‘clean’ and ‘dirty’, meaning, ‘COVID’ and ‘non-COVID’) was reviewed and a brief training was provided to Amadora-Sintra professionals about our organization and functioning” , adds the head nurse of HL Lisboa. The Human Resources and the Direction of IT Systems created the conditions for these external professionals to have electronic access to the patients’ clinical files. The system of clinical and nursing registration in HL Lisboa and Amadora-Sintra is the same, “which made their work much easier”. “This is a partnership of unprecedented characteristics and operationalized in record time, thanks to the readiness of all teams involved. It all went smoothly and in maximum safety” , states Pedro Patrício, stressing that this was possible, because HL Lisboa functions already since March last year, with specific autonomous circuits for COVID and non-COVID patients. For Luz Saúde , this is a moment of total commitment with the country, with the Portuguese population and with the national system of health. We take it with all our capacity and persistent dedication. Thanks to all the professionals at Hospital da Luz Lisboa for the commitment and professionalism they put into carrying out this operation and in the exemplary way in which they daily respond to the needs of all our patients.
