Paediatric Department make changes to help protect children and their families

The Paediatric department of the Torrevieja Hospital have made some changes to their Covid-19 procedures to improve safety for children against the virus.

EXTRA measures have been put in place to protect both children and families, as fears of more outbreaks of Covid-19 is on the minds of many in the region.

All the health centres of the Torrevieja health department have resumed face-to-face activity, including the Paediatric services of the Torrevieja University Hospital.
In order to help prevent contagion, and to make the children and their families feel safe, paediatric professionals have established further recommendations in the hope to make  children’s consultations run as smoothly as possible, despite the current situation.
In a measure, which some may say will cause more panic, paediatricians have recommended that their paediatric patients wear a mask to attend consultations with only one of their parents allowed to accompany them and advised to keep children under three-years-old in their pram, or in their arms.
These are just two of the measures prepared by Paediatric professionals to help prevent contagion, and to guarantee safety in waiting rooms in the return to normal care.
In addition to recommending the use of a masks for children, paediatricians have reminded family members that they must respect the mandatory mask rules and follow social distancing regulations, in both waiting rooms and consultations.
All health centres have made masks available for those patients who arrive without one, and can be requested at the reception desk. In addition, children are advised to under close supervision at all times by those that are accompanying them.
“Children under three-years-of-age have to stay in their prams or, failing that, in the arms of the adult with whom they attend with. Those over three-years-of-age will do so in the chair immediately next to the adult with whom they attend the centre with,” explains Dr. Gonzalo Ros, head of the Ribera Salud Paediatric Service at the Torrevieja and Vinalopó hospitals.
All paediatric areas have hydro-alcoholic gel to perform hand hygiene for children and adults, and it is recommended to maintain a safety distance of 1.5 meters with any other person, as well as for the adult to take responsibility that the minor also maintains that distance with other patients and their companions.
Dr. Gonzalo Ros added, “in addition, it is important that adults help the child to understand the importance of good respiratory hygiene and that when coughing or sneezing they know that it is vitally important to cover the mouth and nose with the elbow flexed, and failing that, with a handkerchief that must be discarded quickly”.
“Going to paediatric consultations at the Ribera Salud centres is safer if we all adopt the necessary measures to help prevent infections and make it easier for families to feel that the children, and themselves, are safe,” explains Dr. Ros.
If at any time patients feel safer in larger spaces, Ribera Salud hospitals has some adjoining spaces to the general waiting area, as well as an ample outside space the health centre.
Dr. Ros also pointed out that the YoSalud mobile app, which is already implemented in most of the hospitals of the health group, “has allowed the Paediatric Service professionals to resolve many doubts from families throughout this period, avoid unnecessary travel for our patients and their parents and give a lot of peace of mind by the exhaustive follow-up of each child and each case”.
Through YoSalud, after online consultation with their paediatrician, families can carry out any administrative procedures, such as, requesting and receiving a vaccination certificate for children’s schooling, enrollment in sports schools or conservatories, or obtaining prescriptions.
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