Hospital
The emergency service of the Jessa Hospital in Hasselt has a very large influx of patients. Compared to the same period in 2019, there is an increase of 20 percent in the number of patients. From Monday, the emergency will call in eight volunteers who can help the nurses with non-care-related tasks. “High time for a booster vaccine among healthcare staff and doctors,” it sounds.
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Source: BELGIAN
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The remarkable influx of patients is partly due to the fourth wave of unvaccinated people with Covid complaints and to the delayed care: patients with serious illnesses who have not had an annual check-up with their doctor or specialist in recent months. In addition, there are many people with alcohol intoxication, which increases the workload enormously, it sounds.
“The pressure on the entire emergency team is exceptionally high, just like in the rest of the hospital. And then the winter and the flu season still have to start,” says medical director Jos Vandekerkhof. “Two elements cause extra frustration: drunks who come in at night and cause a nuisance. Our nurses who have to help seriously ill can really miss that. And then there are more and more unvaccinated patients who walk in with Covid complaints. I understand very well that a nurse who is under pressure has a very hard time with this.”
The Jessa Hospital asks the government to make a quick decision to give healthcare personnel and doctors a third (booster) vaccination. “Vaccinated healthcare personnel who become ill after an infection is a reality and we really have to prevent it,” says Vandekerkhof: “We have to monitor the continuity of care carefully.”
From Monday, Jessa will deploy eight volunteers to support the emergency. They will take on a number of tasks in the fringe of care, such as receiving patients and their supervisor. The East Limburg Hospital (ZOL) in Genk also indicates that the emergency department is getting busier, but that there are still enough staff available.
Volunteer Tom Smet (60) will start working as a volunteer in the emergency department of the Hasselt Jessa Hospital on Monday. — © RR
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From the bakery to the emergency room
Bakker Tom Smet (60) from Herentals will be the first volunteer to kick off on Monday. “Two years ago I already had the job of my life with Jessa.”
In addition to his full-time job as a pastry chef, Tom has been active as a volunteer for the fire brigade in Herentals for thirty years. “Two years ago I started working as an ambulance driver at the Jessa Hospital to expand the interhospital transport,” he says. “That was the job of my life.” When he saw that volunteers were being sought, he didn’t hesitate for a second. “Two half days a week I will be in the emergency department as a point of contact for patients and their families,” he says. “Investigations can sometimes take a long time, and some people can get nervous. But then I’ll be there to inquire with the doctors how long it will take or what exactly will happen. That way I can reassure people a bit.” In addition, he will also be the first to receive a lot of people in an emergency. “I am aware that there will sometimes be difficult stories, but I have also been an ambulance driver at the fire service for ten years. I have experienced and seen everything there. I can handle that.”(b, village)
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