The Canterbury District Health Board expects work on the new 32-bed ward, to be named Parkside Ground Medical, to be completed by the end of this month.
It comes as the Delta variant of the virus breaks out of Auckland and moves south. There was one death and 39 new cases yesterday, including nine in the Waikato.
University of Otago, Christchurch, respiratory and infectious disease physician Dr Michael Maze applauded the actions of district health boards, including the CDHB, in preparing for community transmission.
“If you look at the experience in the United Kingdom and the United States, even in the UK where they have vaccination rates that are a bit more than ours, they are certainly getting plenty of admissions into hospital,” Maze said.
“Even with really good vaccination rates, we still have to expect some people will end up in hospital,” he said.
“Of course we still haven’t got to 90 per cent, it seems quite a long way off. There’s still quite a lot of people to get vaccinated.”
Vaccination events in Christchurch this weekend are helping towards the 90% for Canterbury campaign – drive in at Christchurch Arena, or walk in and get free food at Ngā Hau e Whā National Marae vaccination clinic at Wainoni on Saturday.
CDHB executive director facilities Dr Rob Ojala said in the event of a significant outbreak in Canterbury, Parkside Ground Medical would provide a dedicated space to treat patients.
He said the CDHB and the Ministry of Health had worked closely and with urgency to convert the former Acute Medical Assessment Unit at Christchurch Hospital into the ward.
The AMAU had relocated to the new Waipapa building last year.
“The facility will provide additional capacity to manage affected patients should that be required,” Ojala said.
Part of the upgrade includes improving ventilation.
Ventilation is being altered so that air moves from the central staff area towards the patient bed areas, making the staff areas safer.
Facilities and engineering manager Terry Walker said it would result in improved airflow.
“Two large fans are being installed outside the ward to extract large amounts of air from grills at above the patients’ bed heads, and pass it through HEPA filters to safely exhaust to the atmosphere,” Walker said.
The last time Canterbury DHB cared for Covid-19 patients was in January, when two people who had travelled from overseas were transferred to the hospital from MIQ.
It’s worth a shot, say organisers behind 90% for Canterbury.
They want 90 per cent of Cantabrians to have had at least one vaccination dose by Labour Weekend.
Research shows two jabs of the Pfizer vaccine reduces the chance of catching Covid-19, and it also helps prevent hospitalisation and death in infected people.
Currently 80 per cent of the eligible population nationwide have had their first dose, while 50 per cent are fully vaccinated. Only 42 per cent of the total population is fully vaccinated.
“It’s a huge job on a tight time frame, but it’s worth a shot to keep our city open, businesses thriving and vulnerable safe,” said Jo de Joux of Harvey Cameron.
There is a vaccination clinic on Saturday at Ngā Hau e Whā National Marae, 250 Pages Rd, Wainoni, 10am-3pm. Anton Matthews of Fush and his team will be on site offering free food.
And there is a drive-in vaccination centre at Christchurch Arena, Addington, open Monday to Friday 1.30-7.30pm and Saturday and Sunday 11am-5pm. There is no need to book.
Endocrinologist and physician Dr Nitasha Rimar said individuals only gained immunity about two weeks after the second dose, and the Pfizer vaccine had only 30 per cent efficacy after the first dose.
“That leaves more than half the country unprotected.”
