Mediclinic Gariep and Mediclinic Kimberley has called for volunteers to assist in various roles as the hospital responds to the pandemic.
Mediclinic Gariep and Mediclinic Kimberley has called for volunteers to assist in various roles as the hospital responds to the pandemic.
Mediclinic spokesperson, Denise Coetzee, said on Friday that the Covid-19 pandemic has created the need for assistance in certain roles within healthcare.
“We appeal to volunteers, to assist within Mediclinic Gariep and Mediclinic Kimberley to play a role as we respond to the pandemic.”
Coetzee said the hospital hoped to establish a database of volunteers with clinical expertise as well as non-clinical people.
“People who have previously worked in the healthcare industry, but are not currently working are welcome to register. These volunteers will assist our healthcare staff to focus on their core roles and will be utilised in a way which complements our patient care,” Coetzee said.
“We need the assistance of volunteers to relieve the hospital of tasks which arise due to unusual patient volumes and the need to manage the flow of people in the hospital. Interested people will need to register on the online portal on the Mediclinic website, in order to be considered for volunteering roles. For roles that require South African Nursing Council registration, there has been a call to the registering body to fast-track their restoration process for nurses who are no longer registered but would like to accept the call to action now.”
Potential tasks to which non-clinical volunteers can be allocated to, include:
In-hospital tasks:
– Assistance with access control at designated entrances
– Directing/channelling patients inside entrances
– Observing and checking the disinfecting process at various strategic positions throughout the hospital
– Observing the donning and doffing of Personal Protective Equipment
– Monitoring the availability of hand sanitizer
– Support for patients during the period when no visits will be allowed, including assessing the need for practical support with shopping and pets
– Emotional support and communication with visitors who are denied access during the period when no visitors will be allowed
– Administration
– ICT related tasks
– Engineering
– Ad-hoc tasks
Out-hospital tasks:
– Shopping for employees who are unable to access food shops during working hours
– Shopping for people who are in quarantine
– Pet care for employees working additional hours and for elderly patients
“All volunteers will be provided with a clear explanation of their role and responsibilities, eg the place of volunteering and the expected hours of work etc. We will provide all volunteers with training on Infection Prevention and Control as well as specific tasks relevant to their role.”
Coetzee said volunteers would receive an automated response to confirm their registration. “Their details will then be available to the nearest Mediclinic hospital to view and make contact. Please note that the volunteerism is not an offer of employment and will not entail compensation. It is simply a platform for creating connections to make the best use of our energies in getting through COVID-19 together.”
