MARTINBOROUGH HEALTH CENTRE 

How a Health Centre Locks Down 

Lockdown may have been quiet at your place, but the Martinborough Health Centre was a hive of carefully structured activity as essential services continued. We knew from the start we had to be absolutely rigid in our application of the COVID-19 rules, no exceptions. 95 percent of our patients accepted this immediately for which we are very grateful.

We needed to separate patients with symptoms that could indicate respiratory infection from non-infectious patients, so we designated the inside the Health Centre as our Green Zone (safe area) and out the back in the carpark where we have the Porta-Cabin as our Red Zone (danger area). This is where we could treat our at risk patients and also undertake the swabbing for Covid-19 virus.  

To ensure that we had the patients in the right zones, all patients were screened firstly by phone consult and again before being let in even if they had an appointment.  We appreciate the support that our patients gave Mat and for understanding the restrictions he had been instructed to enforce. 

Combined with our commuters, who many are enrolled at other practices and a number of Wellingtonian’s that choose to spend their lockdown at their Martinborough holiday house put a lot of extra pressure on the practice at a time when we were short staffed (three pregnant staff started their maternity leave earlier) but it was imperative that we provided health services to everyone who needed it.  

At the same time we were dealing with Covid-19, we were running drive-through Saturday morning flu clinics in a marquee beside the Town Hall along with dealing with the supply issues of the vaccines, which was a nightmare.  Overall we are incredibly pleased with the uptake.  We have given 1, 505 flu vaccinations.

Most importantly, and recognising this pandemic may still have a sting in its tail as community restrictions are loosened,  the Health Centre will still be taking a cautious approach. So far we have got through this challenging time with the best possible result. Thanks to everyone for their support.