WILLEMSTAD - Over the past few days, a significant increase in the number of patients visiting the CMC emergency department has been recorded. This puts extra pressure on healthcare personnel to treat patients who do need urgent treatment. CMC urges everyone not to personally go to the hospital if there are any COVID-19 symptoms, but to contact their primary care physician.
Currently there are 5 COVID-19 patients in the CMC. Furthermore, of the CMC personnel who have become infected with the virus, 39 are now active and 21 have recovered. The 60 employees who have been infected in total since the start of the pandemic make up 4.4 percent of CMC's total workforce. International statistics show, based on research by the World Health Organization (WHO), that the percentage of healthcare personnel in a hospital who become infected with COVID-19 can rise to a maximum of 35 percent. At CMC, all employees who exhibit symptoms and all personnel on the "contact list" are tested to minimize the risk of someone appearing on the floor without being identified as being infected with COVID-19. All CMC personnel who have tested positive are in isolation and are not allowed to appear on the floor as long as they are positive.
In anticipation of further cases of COVID-19 in the hospital, the CMC has taken the necessary steps to continue to guarantee the level of care. CMC has strengthened its team with staff from the US, the Board of Directors, together with the Ministry of Public Health (GMN), is in talks with the Dutch Ministry of Health for more nurses and specialists, and the local market is looking for general nurses and specialists who can strengthen the team even more.