Te Marae Ora has opened the ‘coughs and colds’ flu clinic today at Blackrock clinic. This is in response to the 2019 Coronavirus acute respiratory virus (2019-nCoVard) epidemic in China that is now spreading across the world. Dr Herman, Chair of the National Health Emergency Taskforce (NHET) says “we are establishing this clinic to help divert those with respiratory symptoms from ill patients visiting Rarotonga Hospital and Tupapa Community Clinic.”
The ‘coughs and colds’ clinic will receive all patients with coughs, colds, runny nose, headache, fevers and difficulty breathing. The public is advised to call ahead prior to visiting the ‘coughs and colds’ clinic to arrange an appointment to see the doctor and/or nurse. This will assist in minimising the spread of germs while patients are in the waiting room.
Clinic venue: Blackrock
Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 8am to 2pm.
Phone number: 29667
Over 17,000 confirmed cases of 2019-nCoVard have been reported globally, with 99% in China, including over 350 deaths, one of which was in the Philippines. WHO has advised that countries should prepare for imported cases, but also for the potential of further transmission of the virus in the community. Based on 2019-nCoVard information, vulnerable people including older persons, and those with medical conditions such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease, are likely to become more severely ill.
The public is reminded to continue to practise good hand hygiene (wash your hands regularly with water or alcohol-based gel), coughs and sneezes etiquette (cover your coughs and sneezes or cough into your flexed elbow, discard used tissue in a bin), and food safety (use different chopping boards and knives for raw and cooked food).
“I am pleased with the work of the NHET”, says Minister of Health Hon. Vainetutai Rose Toki Brown. “The sharing of information among our key stakeholders is helping inform our response, and we are reaching out to our people so that they know how to protect themselves, and where to go when they are sick.”
To book an appointment at the ‘Coughs and Colds’ Flu clinic – 29667