As of 16 March 2020, pediatrics in Bolesławiec de facto did not exist. After the hospital was transformed into an infectious-disease facility, the ward was occupied by patients infected with the coronavirus. After the modular infectious-disease hospital was opened, the director of ZOZ decided to immediately renovate and modernize the pediatric ward so that sick children would not have to be transported to hospitals in neighboring counties.
The ward is still being equipped with devices intended for rapid diagnostics, including a blood gas analyzer—an instrument for measuring critical blood parameters, including blood oxygen levels—and CRP testing, which indicates an ongoing inflammatory process in the body; cardiac monitors, defibrillators, pumps for administering medicines and fluids, and rapid tests for examining, for example, blood and urine parameters. PLN 600,000 was allocated for modernization work and equipment purchases.
The new head of the ward is Aleksandra Kopczyńska—a specialist in pediatrics and neonatology. Two pediatricians and a resident doctor have joined the team. The ward’s closure and subsequent resumption of operations required many changes. The ward is divided into two sections: the so-called clean and dirty areas. In the “dirty” zone, before being admitted to the hospital, children and their caregivers wait for the results of coronavirus tests. If the tests confirm an infection, patients will be taken to a separate room secured by an isolation vestibule. Patients will be transferred to the infectious-disease ward only if their health deteriorates.
Importantly, throughout the entire treatment process, one caregiver will still be allowed to stay with the child. Visits are, of course, prohibited during the pandemic. The hospital purchased new beds for parents so that they could rest in decent conditions during these difficult times.