Triage tents deployed as a precaution

Friday, March 27, 2020

Two triage tents have been erected outside SoutheastHEALTH of Stoddard County as a precaution, according to Stoddard County Ambulance District (SCAD) Manager David Cooper.

“This is just part of our plan that we have been discussing in the past several weeks in the event an outbreak would occur in our counties,” said Cooper. “So its all precautionary, since we had our first case in the county we decided to go ahead and initiate the tent out here at the hospital.”

This is a portion of the Region E mobile hospital. Cooper said it was for surge capacity in the event the hospital gets overrun it would have the ability to expand its emergency room. The tents will also allow the hospital to triage and screen people outside the hospital.

A statement released by the hospital administration said patients displaying symptoms of COVID-19 would be sent to a separate area, so as to avoid potential exposure to other patients.

“Right now it is strictly precaution,” said Cooper. “These are assets we have at the ambulance district.”

Cooper explained there is disaster equipment spread throughout Southeast Missouri. SCAD happens to be the facility that houses two of the five pieces of the hospital surge tent. Cooper said the other three were in Cape Girardeau.

“Our two sections here, we are going to deploy at the hospital,” Cooper stated. “Just to be ready in the event things get bigger.”

Cooper said the tents were being set up as if they were going to use them today. He went on to explain that they do not want to be in a panic mode setting up if the hospital is overflowing.

“Again it's not that we anticipate any surge at this time,” stressed Cooper. “This is something we are going to have to be dealing with over the next several weeks and we just want to be prepared.”

SoutheastHEALTH of Stoddard County administration said in the release, “We continue to monitor and respond to the COVID-19 situation in our community. The construction of these tents should not be alarming or cause concern. It should help reassure you that our highest priority is patient, staff and community safety. Also be reassured that during this challenging time we will continue to provide patients with the quality care they expect and deserve.”

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