Public Healthcare in the time of Covid-19 “Phase two”

by Luca Catalano Gonzaga

Though COVID-19 pandemic is still ongoing, looking to the next future, what is going to change in our healthcare management? What will be the clinical protocol to use until a vaccine or a decisive treatment will be available? Citizens and health carers in most of developed countries are facing the most sever pandemic of the century. The crisis triggered by Coronavirus is critically testing, on top of public healthcare efficacy and its accessibility, its very resilience. That is, the system ability to adapt effectively to an abrupt shock or to a sudden change. An essential feature to face an emergency that may continue for a long time and happen again in our future. These thoughts gave birth to the photographic project “Public Healthcare in the time of Coronavirus” by Luca Catalano Gonzaga aiming to tell how the rules of behaviour and protection when entering health facilities have changed, and emphasizing the importance of designing healthcare models able to adjust to the crisis. Photography is a universal language, its narration can involve public opinion profoundly, often more than words do, and it shows to the observer the most authentic soul of the extraordinary professionality and humanity from health carers in their daily relationship with patients, in a time when necessary social distance rules are making it more complex. Through the eye and the sensibility of Luca Catalano Gonzaga, the change occurred inside each single San Camillo Forlanini Hospital division, is told by its protagonists: doctors, nurses and auxiliaries.

  • San Camillo Forlanini hospital, Rome, Italy. Emergency Room, Red Area. First swab test to patients in isolation for Covid-19.
  • San Camillo Forlanini hospital, Rome, Italy. Emergency Room, the Red Area is currently restricted to those patients supposed to suffer from Covid-19. Patients waiting for swab test result in the “critical” area.
  • San Camillo Forlanini hospital, Rome, Italy. Emergency Room, the Red Area is currently restricted to those patients supposed to suffer from Covid-19, with severe respiratory deficit.
  • San Camillo Forlanini hospital, Rome, Italy. A health worker is removing the individual protection equipment, after working inside the Covid-19 Red Area.
  • San Camillo Forlanini hospital, Rome, Italy. The waiting room is “unusually” empty.
  • San Camillo Forlanini hospital, Rome, Italy. Reception desk inside the Emergency Room. It is not as crowded as it used to be before Coronavirus. A 50-60% decrease in patients’ attendance is recorded. The fear of contagion makes people with minor health issues stay at home.
  • San Camillo Forlanini hospital, Rome, Italy. Emplacements equipped with medical principals on the alert for Covid-19 patients.
  • San Camillo Forlanini hospital, Rome, Italy. Health worker performing the periodical sanitation.
  • San Camillo Forlanini hospital, Rome, Italy. Covid-19 path for patients destined to the Intensive Care.
  • San Camillo Forlanini hospital, Rome, Italy. Triage Area within the Emergency Room, once stuck with patients. The tangible decrease in attendance depends on the remarkable reduction in white and green codes that usually congesting hospitals.
  • San Camillo Forlanini hospital, Rome, Italy. A health worker is helping a patient in the Emergency Room to properly wear his face mask.
  • San Camillo Forlanini hospital, Rome, Italy. A health worker is receiving patients in an area outside the Emergency Room entrance and is executing the Coronavirus screening.
  • San Camillo Forlanini hospital, Rome, Italy. Health workers receive a patient arrived in ambulance and supposed to suffer from Covid-19 symptoms.
  • San Camillo Forlanini hospital, Rome, Italy. An ambulance arrived with a generic patient, with no Covid-19 symptoms. People, frightened by a potential contagion, go to the Emergency Room only in case of severe need.
  • San Camillo Forlanini hospital, Rome, Italy. Patients’ screening in the area adjoining the Emergency Room, by measuring temperature and the oxygen value with the saturated meter.
  • San Camillo Forlanini hospital, Rome, Italy. A patient has been duly isolated, awaiting medical assessment.
  • San Camillo Forlanini Hospital, Rome, Italy. A nurse is about to wear the individual protection equipment, to prevent contagion, before entering the Covid-19 Red Area, where patients are waiting for the results of the second swab test.
  • San Camillo Forlanini hospital, Rome, Italy. Lancisi Hall where patients supposed to suffer from Covid-19 are received, before the results of the second swab test are known.
  • San Camillo Forlanini hospital, Rome, Italy. Emergency Room, the Red Area is currently restricted to those patients supposed to suffer from Covid-19.
  • San Camillo Forlanini hospital, Rome, Italy. Swab samples analysis in the Molecular Biology lab.
  • San Camillo Forlanini hospital, Rome, Italy. Health workers wearing protective equipment when doing Covid-19 swab analysis.
  • San Camillo Forlanini hospital, Rome, Italy. Molecular Biology Department. Research and analysis activity.
  • San Camillo Forlanini hospital, Rome, Italy. Doctors adopt daily precautions in the analysis lab in the time of Coronavirus.
  • San Camillo Forlanini hospital, Rome, Italy. Protection equipment in the Molecular Biology Labs.
  • San Camillo Forlanini hospital, Rome, Italy. Molecular Biology Department. Research and analysis activity.
  • San Camillo Forlanini hospital, Rome, Italy. Molecular Biology Department. Test tubes brought from the Emergency Room to the Analysis Lab by a worker wearing appropriate protection.
  • San Camillo Forlanini hospital, Rome, Italy. A spiritual assistant hands over some Consecrated Hosts to a doctor, for him to distribute to Covid-19 patients.
  • San Camillo Forlanini hospital, Rome, Italy. Patients waiting to be received in the Emergency Room. A reduction of 50-60% of patients with light/medium symptoms has been registered.
  • San Camillo Forlanini hospital, Rome, Italy. Maternity Department. Pregnant woman waiting to enter into the delivery room.
  • San Camillo Forlanini hospital, Rome, Italy. Maternity Department. Obstetrics-gynecology ward. Pregnant woman having pre-delivery monitoring.
  • San Camillo Forlanini hospital, Rome, Italy. Maternity Department. Parents with their new-born twins. Fathers are allowed into the Department only after the Coronavirus screening.
  • San Camillo Forlanini hospital, Rome, Italy. Maternity Department. A mother with her new-born baby. The very first contact with babies requires facial mask due to Coronavirus.
  • San Camillo Forlanini hospital, Rome, Italy. Maternity department. A pregnant woman waiting to deliver.
  • San Camillo Forlanini hospital, Rome, Italy. Maternity Department. The neonatal nest where babies are accommodated. Even into the neonatal nest health workers use every precaution.
  • SSan Camillo Forlanini hospital, Rome, Italy. Maternity Department. Medical Exams Reception for pregnant women.
  • San Camillo Forlanini hospital, Rome, Italy. Maternity Department. A pregnant woman during labor is waiting to enter into the delivery room.
  • San Camillo Forlanini hospital, Rome, Italy. Maternity Department. Babies keep coming into the world with both parents in the delivery room – whether is a natural childbirth or a C-section – despite the ongoing Covid-19 epidemic. Of course, fathers are allowed into operating rooms only after the Coronavirus screening.