Pathfinder
Editor, Senior Moderator
Children's Hospital Restricts Visitors
Other Detroit Hospitals To Follow Suit
POSTED: Friday, October 30, 2009
UPDATED: 5:44 pm EDT October 30, 2009
DETROIT -- Detroit hospitals are changing the rules about who can visit patients because of concerns about the H1N1 flu virus.
Effective Friday, Children's Hospital of Michigan has banned visitors under the age of 18. Beginning Nov. 1, eight other hospitals that make up the Detroit Medical Center will follow suit.
The rule change is an effort to prevent children who may be infected with the virus from spreading it to vulnerable patients.
"The spread of H1N1 flu virus is happening faster and faster, and we felt it was imperative that we do everything we can to protect the children and families that we take care of," said Dr. Allison Ball, of Children's Hospital.
Ball said the decision wasn't made lightly.
"We knew it was going to come here and we knew this was something we would have to consider," she said.
The restrictions apply only to in-building patient visitors. Siblings under 18 of patients who are only at the hospital for an appointment are allowed.
"We have a plan to implement it throughout the whole flu season, and that'll take us from now until perhaps February or March," Ball said.
Parents Local 4 talked to supported the plan.
Manuel Walk and Gina Jackson said they don't want their 2-month old daughter, Jamyah, catching the flu.
"The way that it's so easy to spread and catch now days, and how there's so many different precauutions they asking everybody to take ... you just never know," Walk said.
Ball said exceptions will be made on a case-by-case basis.
"We recognize that families of gravely ill children may want to visit and we will handle those individually," she said.
http://www.clickondetroit.com/health/21480222/detail.html
Other Detroit Hospitals To Follow Suit
POSTED: Friday, October 30, 2009
UPDATED: 5:44 pm EDT October 30, 2009
DETROIT -- Detroit hospitals are changing the rules about who can visit patients because of concerns about the H1N1 flu virus.
Effective Friday, Children's Hospital of Michigan has banned visitors under the age of 18. Beginning Nov. 1, eight other hospitals that make up the Detroit Medical Center will follow suit.
The rule change is an effort to prevent children who may be infected with the virus from spreading it to vulnerable patients.
"The spread of H1N1 flu virus is happening faster and faster, and we felt it was imperative that we do everything we can to protect the children and families that we take care of," said Dr. Allison Ball, of Children's Hospital.
Ball said the decision wasn't made lightly.
"We knew it was going to come here and we knew this was something we would have to consider," she said.
The restrictions apply only to in-building patient visitors. Siblings under 18 of patients who are only at the hospital for an appointment are allowed.
"We have a plan to implement it throughout the whole flu season, and that'll take us from now until perhaps February or March," Ball said.
Parents Local 4 talked to supported the plan.
Manuel Walk and Gina Jackson said they don't want their 2-month old daughter, Jamyah, catching the flu.
"The way that it's so easy to spread and catch now days, and how there's so many different precauutions they asking everybody to take ... you just never know," Walk said.
Ball said exceptions will be made on a case-by-case basis.
"We recognize that families of gravely ill children may want to visit and we will handle those individually," she said.
http://www.clickondetroit.com/health/21480222/detail.html