A Brussels hospital will set up a Covid-19 testing drive-thru to begin screening patients who have an upcoming procedure and must be admitted into the hospital.
The UZ Brussel, located in the northern municipality of Jette, said that the drive-thru site will be operational from 28 May.
"The preventative tests will take place outside the hospital building through a drive-thru system set up in a tent," UZ Brussels said, adding that only patients with a scheduled medical procedure will be tested, not the general public.
Related News
- Coronavirus: 257 new infections, 47 hospital admissions in Belgium
- Over 175,000 coronavirus deaths in Europe
- Coronavirus: hundreds protest thinning budget of Belgian health services
The hospital has been carrying out Covid-19 tests on all patients who have a scheduled procedure since April, in an effort to reduce the risk of contagion inside the facility.
The hospital began screening incoming patients in order to know whether to admit them into a regular or a Covid-19 ward.
The new drive-thru system will streamline the hospital's screening system, allowing up to 100 tests per day and meaning patients will no longer have to enter the hospital building, with those come by bike or public transport also tested in the drive-thru.
"Two days before the scheduled admission date, patients will be asked to come to the drive-thru," the hospital wrote. "The next day, the patient's results will be known and whoever tests positive will be contacted by the hospital."
Since the start of the pandemic, 456 Covid-19 patients have been admitted into the hospital, out of which 356 have been discharged and 72 died.
The Brussels Times
