In preparation for an influx of coronavirus cases, the Aga Khan University Hospital, AKUH, has risen to the challenge of providing treatment to COVID-19 patients needing special care.
“Acutely ill coronavirus patients require specially-equipped negative pressure facilities that ensure the safety of frontline staff as well as other patients,” said Dr Asim Belgaumi, chief medical officer at AKUH. “As part of the hospital’s COVID-19 preparedness, we needed to arrange more beds to care for these patients.”
A team of specialists ranging from disciplines such as biomedical, design, mechanical, electrical, plumbing and civil engineering worked alongside experts in infection control and emergency medicine to convert AKUH’s existing 10-bed Acute Care Unit, ACU, into a facility that minimises the chance of the disease being spread to others.
The move required an entire redesign and revamp of ventilation systems and change in the set-up of the ACU which saw the team work in 24-hour shifts over 7 days as part of the preparedness plan.
Dennis Matthews, head of the University’s bio-medical and electronics engineering department said: “To treat patients with communicable diseases, we needed to install ventilation systems that would make the air flow away from other patients and staff, and through HEPA filtration systems that eliminate airborne contaminants."
Implementing this change required the air handling unit to supply 100 per cent fresh air in the area. The installation of high-power exhaust fans were also needed to remove the air from the system and into the environment after filtration.
In addition, the team needed to build a glass enclosure with positive air flow inside the ACU within which the staff could be protected when not tending to patients. This was needed to create a normal working environment for ACU staff that ensured patient and staff safety. In addition to these measures, a vestibule was created overnight by the facilities team to prevent contaminants from infecting others outside the ACU.
The facilities were tested on multiple occasions in front of an external consultant who certified that it met the standards required of a negative-pressure isolation area with critical care capabilities.
The ACU currently has eight beds for suspected COVID-19 patients as well as two separate isolation rooms for confirmed cases.
Stable COVID-19 patients are being treated on two dedicated floors in a separate building on campus.
