On April 23, Tainan City Government rolled out COVID-19 testing stations in containers located right outside of the MOHW Tainan Hospital. This is the first-ever measure in Taiwan. Mayor Huang Wei-che visited the site in person and had his sample taken at this makeshift testing facility, commending that this is a fast, effective, and safe way to screen and test individuals.
“There is no time for complacency in the battle against the outbreak,” said Mayor Huang. Citizens with suspicious symptoms should immediately get checked in medical facilities. However, when too many suspected cases concentrate in major hospitals, emergency rooms become overcrowded, thus compromising medical service capacity. The city government decided to establish screening stations outside of the hospital, which serves as a front-end triage system to lower the risk of community infection.
These container-built testing stations have a number of merits. Testing capacity increases as four persons get to be checked at once in four separate testing pods. Health care workers who administer tests are fully protected because there is no contact with suspected patients. All the stations are equipped with negative pressure ventilators and are fully sanitized after completing every sampling process. Finally, in this work setting, health care workers are not required to wear protective gear, safety goggles, face shields or double-layered gloves, which saves a lot of time from putting on the protective equipment and saves precious medical resources. These container-based testing stations are the best arrangement in terms of effectiveness, safety and resource utilization.
Tainan City’s Public Health Bureau further highlighted the thoughtful design of these container-built testing facility. The facility contains four fully-insulated and independently-separated testing pods, all equipped with ultraviolet (UV) disinfecting devices. Health care workers who administer the tests and the testing individuals are completed divided to avoid exposure to virus. Each testing staff, with protective gloves on, only has to put his/her hand into the sample-taking compartment to conduct the test. Each testing pod provides examination for one person at a time; once the testing is completed, it is thoroughly disinfected with ultraviolet to prevent cross-contamination. This testing facility speeds up the sampling process, operates under all weather conditions, and minimizes contact between testing staff and suspected patients. This stringent infection control mechanism exemplifies the government’s commitment to safeguard the health of all citizens and health care workers.
Tainan City Government prioritizes the development of a safe testing environment, and this new container-based testing facility serves as a new benchmark for other hospitals to follow. Building sampling stations in containers enhances testing capabilities and medical care quality, while addressing spatial limitations. Also, Mayor Huang reminds everyone to perform hand hygiene, practice proper cough etiquette, and implement 14-day home quarantine upon return from foreign countries. If you experience any suspicious symptoms (such as fever, respiratory symptoms, new loss of taste or smell, or diarrhea of unknown cause), please contact CDC Hotline 1922 or the local health center at 06-288-0180 for immediate medical assistance.