'A feeling of deep security' and 'the confidence of being treated very well'. It is in this way that patients undergoing treatment at the Oncology Center of Hospital da Luz Lisboa talk about their experience. A difficult experience to imagine for those who, in these times, only think and hear and speak about COVID-19 and that could become even more unpredictable for these patients, were it not for the care that continues to be ensured. Because at Luz Saúde, we continue to treat and see hope in the future of our patients. With the restructuring of the Hospital da Luz Network, designed to respond to the recommendations of the national health authorities in the appropriate response to COVID-19 patients and, above all, to all those who chose us to monitor their clinical situations, Luz Saúde decided to temporarily transfer part of the services of the Oncology Center of HL Lisboa for the Group hospital in Oeiras. The objective was to minimize the infectious risk for cancer patients being treated, who are necessarily a risk group for COVID-19, and to provide them with a safer and more peaceful environment. To this end, the urgent care of Hospital da Luz Oeiras - a service that became centralized in Lisbon - was closed and an exclusive space was created, with a single entrance, and completely prepared to receive these patients. From the entrance, where an admission screening is performed, to the waiting room, medical offices, laboratory tests area, and Hospital de Dia, where treatments are performed, all circuits at the Oncology Center of Hospital da Luz Oeiras are exclusive to their patients and the team of professionals who have always accompanied them. «The feeling of security and protection is unique. We come in here and the war against COVID-19 is right outside», says a patient. Professionals confirm this feeling every day: «We see our patients reading, sleeping, talking to each other, collaborating with confidence with us... That is the clearest sign that they feel good here, despite everything», says Filipe Costa, manager of the Oncology Center at Hospital da Luz Lisboa. The fact that it was an exclusive and prepared space for these patients was essential so that there was no risk of interruptions in chemotherapy treatments. All patients undergoing treatment were previously informed of the transfer of the service to a dedicated area at Hospital da Luz Oeiras, through individual and direct contact with the oncology team. And to this day everything is still functioning normally: just last week, for example, 164 treatments were performed and more than 30 cancer patients were monitored daily. The Day Hospital of the Oncology Center of Hospital da Luz Lisboa started operating, under this exclusive regime for its patients, more than 3 weeks ago in Oeiras. After the restructuring promoted by Luz Saúde for this area, the medical oncology specialty college of the Ordem dos Médicos came to recommend a solution for the monitoring of cancer patients exactly in the same terms adopted by Luz Saúde, thus giving reason to the decision taken by Group for its health care network. COVID-19 and cancer patients In this ‘exclusive hospital’ that is today the Oncology Center of HL Lisboa in Oeiras, companions are not allowed to enter, screening is carried out at the entrance of the building to all patients and professionals of the Oncology Center team. This screening is monitored by the team of oncologists at Hospital da Luz Lisboa, which checks whether there are symptoms, namely fever, which may be an effect of oncological therapy and not a symptom of COVID-19 infection. Through this screening system, it is possible to ensure the separation of the COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 circuits from cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, while maintaining the security of the exclusive space of these patients. However, and following the rule issued this week by the Direção Geral da Saúde for the oncology services of hospitals in the country, the Day Hospital of the Oncology Center of Hospital da Luz Lisboa, operating at Hospital da Luz Oeiras for 3 weeks, currently began testing all of his patients in treatment. ccording to the instructions of the DGS, patients have to travel to Hospital da Luz Oeiras up to 72 hours before treatment to perform the COVID-19 test. Radiotherapy and cancer surgery in operation at HLL Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, cancer does not go away and patients cannot be afraid to seek hospital care. Every day new diagnoses appear, routine examinations and follow-up of oncological disease are needed, there are patients undergoing radiotherapy treatments and oncological surgeries taking place. At Hospital da Luz Lisboa, all this activity of diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of oncological diseases continues to be essential to ensure that patients have a complete response in a clinically appropriate time. The imaging center, nuclear medicine and pathological anatomy for diagnosis, the operating theater for oncological surgery of all specialties and the radiotherapy service, are fully operational, within their own circuits, to ensure the greatest safety for all those who come to us at Hospital da Luz Lisboa. We continue to treat all those who need our care with safety and demand. We continue to see hope in the future of our patients.
