Hospital da Luz network has reorganized the range of healthcare provided in all its hospital units and clinics, responding to the request made by the General Directorate of Health / Ministry of Health, with the purpose of dealing with this pandemic in concert with the national health authorities. This reorganization of Hospital da Luz network has already been communicated to the General Directorate of Health (DGS), with specific reference to the effective capacity of our units to respond to patients with COVID-19 in the different stages of the disease. In general terms, this reorganization determines that Hospital da Luz Lisboa will undertake the diagnosis and treatment of patients with COVID-19, continuing to ensure, in the most absolute safety, the continuity of diagnosis and treatment of the remaining patients without COVID-19, through the complete and rigorous separation of their hospital circuits. o this effect, Grupo Luz Saúde officially informed DGS that Hospital da Luz Lisboa has full response capacity to all the needs of patients with COVID-19, namely: 61 inpatient beds (30 of which with invasive ventilation), including 8 paediatric inpatient beds, 3 to 4 of which with invasive ventilation Full response to the following-up and delivery of pregnant women already followed at Hospital da Luz Lisboa and having COVID-19, including a consultation room, two delivery rooms and a C-section room, as well as the respective support of neonatology An operating room for emergency surgery and urgent elective surgeries A room for particular gastroenterological exams A hemodynamic room (for instance, for cardiac catheterization or angioplasty An imaging area dedicated to CAT, MRI, X-ray and echography Palliative care support for patients in terminal stage and their families. The rest of Hospital da Luz Network (hospitals and clinics) will remain dedicated to respond to the general healthcare of patients without COVID-19. Hospital da Luz network will also put at the disposal of its clients the following, representing distinguishing factors of the network: Line LUZ 24, with new screening algorithms for patients with and without COVID-19, which will allow clients (excluding the paediatric ones) to only resort to the emergency service when absolutely necessary. When clinically appropriate, they can also access, through this line, to a non-scheduled video consultation without leaving home. A fully functional Digital Clinical Centre allowing to ensure, in all safety for professionals and patients, video consultations to patients with simple respiratory symptomatology (after screening via Line LUZ 24), monitoring of patients with COVID-19 in self-care, and following-up of patients in over 30 specialties (scheduled consultations). The reorganization of Hospital da Luz Network was based on the following guiding principles: To ensure that the patients followed at Hospital da Luz network maintain unchanged the response they need at the level of all emergency intervention or elective urgent intervention: Pregnant women (follow-up, including prenatal diagnosis and delivery) Emergency surgeries and priority elective interventions (namely, oncologic surgery) Oncologic treatments Postoperative re-evaluation Undelayable exams, consultations or treatments according to strictly clinical criteria of priority evaluation by the attending physician (surveillance of chronic diseases, urgent diagnosis for serious illnesses, among other similar situations) To maximize safety in the attendance to adults with compromised immunity, namely oncologic patients, high-risk chronic patients, and high-risk pregnancies, through the clinical coordinated functioning of the whole Hospital da Luz Network and upon rigorous clinical screening ensured by the attending physicians To condition, maintaining the functioning of non-urgent elective activity, in order to comply with measures to constrain the spreading of the disease, namely avoiding the concentration of people in waiting rooms and in circulation within the units To ensure support to the National Service of Health in an effective way and always in coordination with the General Directorate for Health / Ministry of Health. In this sense, and in order to guarantee the effective pursuing of these objectives, the following measures have been implemented: The segmentation of the network accordingly with the existing conditions at the level of its infrastructures, for purposes of complete and effective separation of COVID and non-COVID circuits, in order to maintain the safety of professionals and patients. The implementation of primary screening systems (pre-admission) for all persons entering the units of Hospital da Luz units (patients, referenced accompanying persons, collaborators and suppliers) at all entries to the units, in order to ensure the effectiveness of the separation of circuits. The suspension of the right to visits and the presence of an accompanying person, with the exception of hospitalized children, patients in terminal stage and pregnant women (an accompanying person, preferably with care providing capacity, subject to initial screening and that will not be allowed to get in and out of the hospital during the inpatient period). In cases with clinical justification (determined by the attending physician or, in his absence, by the responsible nurse in service), the presence of an identified caretaker will be allowed. Additionally, the Emergency Service in all Units of Hospital da Luz Network was also subject to a thorough reorganization, with Hospital da Luz Lisboa emerging as the only emergency 24-hour service in the metropolitan area of Lisbon, with capacity to ensure a complete response to patients with COVID-19 and without COVID-19, through separate entrances in the building. The ambulatory assistance in the whole Hospital da Luz Network is also subject to new rules, all scheduling of new exams and consultations being preferably made through the site hospitaldaluz.pt or MY LUZ app. Therefore, we urge all those who need to resort to any unit of Hospital da Luz Network to confirm previously, through site hospitaldaluz.pt, which are the options of scheduling available, as well as the emergency services available and under what conditions and functioning hours. Finally, and because the safety of our professionals is an absolute priority in all cases, and in the context of pandemics we live in presently, also a fundamental condition to guarantee the continuity of healthcare providing to our patients in all safety and quality, Grupo Luz Saúde implemented a Support Line for Collaborators, functioning 24/7. This Support Line gives permanent support to all those who provide care in a daily basis, so that they may do it with maximum safety and with the utmost confidence. The extent of this line ranges from the clarification of clinical issues to the psychological support to our professionals. Please note that, at any moment, this reorganization plan of Hospital da Luz Network may be adjusted according to the evolution of the pandemics. And it will always presuppose the observance of the directives issued by the General Directorate of Health and the Ministry of Health. We thank all our patients and clients for the trust placed on Hospital da Luz network and we hope that all can get through this moment with the possible confidence and tranquillity. More than ever, we will be by your side. Lisbon, the 26th March 2020
