KHMH receives patient monitor and accessories for COVID-19 response

By BBN Staff: Today, the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital Authority (KHMHA) received a donation of patient monitor and accessories from the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO).

The items will aid in monitoring and evaluating patients diagnosed with COVID-19.

PAHO noted that the monitor comes with advanced features that include invasive blood pressure (IBP), 3/5-lead ECG, respiratory rate, pulse rate, oxygen and carbon dioxide (CO2) monitoring.

 As countries continue the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, patient monitors are essential monitoring systems for the management and care of patients.

“Specifically, the carbon dioxide monitoring plays an important factor in managing COVID-19 patients. It is common practice to monitor CO2 when medications to relieve pain or induce sleep are given, when oxygen is administered, or whenever a patient is intubated or outfitted with an artificial airway in order to assess if the patient is properly breathing,” a statement from PAHO/WHO explained.

PAHO/WHO representative, Dr. Noreen Jack said that in critical cases, patient monitoring is necessary to observe and evaluate a patient’s care and physiological functions such as heart and respiratory rate.

 “For these patients, it is crucial to have constant monitoring of their oxygen and CO2 levels, and this patient monitor allows for that and more,” Jack explained.

Additionally, this special monitor also has communication capabilities that include the ability to be connected to a Local Area Network (LAN), built-in Wi-Fi, and Nurse Call. More importantly, it is compliant with Health Level Seven (HL7) standards; international standards that allow for the exchange and transfer of data between multiple healthcare providers. Thus, these features make it easy for the monitor to communicate and co-work with the hospital information system and other hospital units.

Dr. Jack along with PAHO/WHO’s Health Systems and Services Advisor, Dr. Edwin Bolastig, handed over the monitor to the Chief Executive Officer of the KHMHA, Michelle Hoare, and Dr. Adrian Coye, Acting Director of Medical Services at the KHMHA, who expressed their gratitude for the high-grade equipment on behalf of the Ministry of Health and Wellness and the KHMHA.

“This is going to strengthen our response to COVID-19, especially for patients we operate on who are positive for SARS-CoV-2. The key to this donation is that the monitor has invasive monitoring and entitled CO2 which is an extra step up from the usual patient monitors,” said Dr. Coye.

As cases are still rising globally and locally, healthcare systems must remain prepared and equipped.

 PAHO/WHO Belize says that along with partners, it will continue to procure materials and equipment and provide technical guidance and capacity building to the Ministry of Health and Wellness and the country.

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