THE CAPACITY FOR COVID SCREENING
AND TEST- SPECIMEN COLLECTION
VARIES STATEWIDE DEPENDING ON
THE ISLAND, AND WHILE MORE
CLINIC AND TESTING RESOURCES ARE
COMING
ONLINE ALMOST EVERY DAY,
LAWMAKERS AND DOCTORS ON THE
NEIGHBOR ISLANDS ARE CALLING FOR
A FAST CATCHUP.
GINA MANGIERI IS ALWAYS
INVESTIGATING...GINA?
GINA: OAHU COVID SCREENING
CAPACITY GREW SIGNIFICANTLY THIS
WEEK, AS DID KAUAI'S
HOSPITAL. PRIVATE LABS AND
URGENT CARE DRIVE THRU TESTING
RAMPED UP TOO. WE'RE LOOKING
INTO
WHEN MAUI COUNTY AND THE BIG
ISLAND CAN EXPECT TO SEE MORE
SCREENING RESOURCES
AS WELL.
IN A WEEK THAT SAW RAPID CLINIC
AND URGENT CARE PRIVATE TESTING
ROLLOUT, QUEENS HOSPITAL IN
HONOLULU ADDED THIS "WALKING
TESTING. HAWAII PACIFIC HEALTH
ALSO LAUNCHING MORE SAMPLING
CAPABILITY AT
STRAUB
KAPIOLANI
PALI MOMI
AND AT WILCOX ON KAUAI WHICH
TOOK THE TESTS FOR THE NOW
POSITIVE TWO VISITORS
HILTON RAETHEL, HEALTHCARE
ASSOCIATION OF HAWAII-"ANY
HOSPITAL IN THE STATE -- AND WE
HAVE 28
HOSPITALS IN THE STATE -- CAN
THE CRITERIA. IN ADDITION TO
THAT THERE ARE A SERIES OF OTHER
SITES THAT
ARE BEING STOOD UP TO HELP
MANAGE THE CAPACITY OF THE
PEOPLE WHO WOULD QUALIFY TO GET
TESTED FOR COVID 19. YOU STILL
HAVE TO MEET THE CRITERIA, YOU
CAN'T JUST WALK IN AND SAY LOOK
I'M CONCERNED I MIGHT HAVE IT."
THE HEALTHCARE ASSOCIATION OF
HAWAII SAYS EXPECT TO SEE EVEN
MORE REGIONAL TESTING CENTERS OR
COMING DAYS. ON THE BIG ISLAND
EFFECTIVE MONDAY, QUEEN'S NORTH
HAWAII COMMUNITY HOSPITAL IN
KAMUELA WILL LAUNCH.
SUPER: DR. NICOLE APOLIONA,
MAUI-"OUR HOSPITAL MAUI HEALTH
SYSTEMS IS WORKING ON A PLAN TO
PROVIDE
COVID TESTING OFFSITE. NO MATTER
WHO PROVIDES IT WE WOULD REALLY
LIKE TO SEE AN OUTPATIENT
OFFSITE TESTING AREA FOR COVID,
PATIENTS WITH RESPIRATORY
SYMPTOMS AND OR FEVER AWAY FROM
OUR MEDICAL FACILITIES TO
RELIEVE THE BURNED ON MEDICAL
FACILITIES."
KHON2 HAS LEARNED THE STATE
PULLED BACK ON THE ROLLOUT OF
ADDITIONAL TEMPORARY
EMERGENCY-SOURCED SCREENING
CENTERS ON MAUI AND IN KONA THAT
COULD HAVE BEEN IN PLACE
SATURDAY.
SEN. KAI KAHELE" WE WERE BRIEFED
YESTERDAY THAT THESE TESTING
CENTERS WOULD BE SET UP AND I
NOT HAPPEN"
VOLUNTEERS ASSOCIATED WITH
HAWAII'S HEALTHCARE EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT COALITION WERE TOLD
FRIDAY
ACTIVATION WAS COMING THEN WAS
QUICKLY PUT BACK ON STANDBY
SEN. ROZ BAKER -" IT'S
UNFORTUNATE BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT
OUR CLINICIANS ON MAUI ARE
ASKING, CLEARLY I THOUGHT THAT
THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
TOLD ME THE DECISION NOT TO ROLL
OUT WAS IN PART BECAUSE
"PRIVATE HOSPITALS THROUGHOUT
THE STATE ARE STANDING UP
ADDITIONAL SCREENING AND TESTING
AREAS FOR COVID-19
ARE EXPECTED TO MEET THE NEEDS
OF THE PUBLIC."
AND THEY SAY HHEM VOLUNTEERS
COME IN PART FROM THE RANKS OF
DOCTORS AND NURSES CURRENTLY
WORKING IN
LOCAL HOSPITALS AND MEDICAL
OFFICES AND PULLING THEM
".... AWAY FROM THEIR PATIENTS
AT THIS TIME MAY NOT BE
AND THE STATE SAYS PLACING OLDER
PEOPLE AT HIGHER RISK FOR
COVID-19 IN SCREENING ROLES ALSO
SEEMS ILL ADVISED AT THIS
TIME. "
DR. JOSH GREEN WHO IS THE
STATE'S DESIGNATED COVID-19
COORDINATOR ARRANGED A
WORKAROUND BY SATURDAY
AFTERNOON
DR. JOSH GREEN-" I REACHED OUT
AGAIN TO OUR PARTNERS AT MAUI
MEMORIAL HOSPITAL WHICH ARE
KAISER AND THEY AGREED TO
PROVIDE THE HEALTHCARE, THE
COUNTY FOLKS ARE GOING TO
PROVIDE THE FACILITY AND THEY'RE
GOING TO GET THAT BABY UP.
GREEN SAYS HHEM IS HELPING
ENSURE ALL THE NECESSARY
PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT.
IT'S EXPECTED TO BE UP BY
MONDAY.
AS FOR THE BIG ISLAND, THAT
WORKAROUND IS COMING THROUGH
HAWAII DISASTER MEDICAL
ASSISTANCE TEAM AND THE STATE
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE.
GREEN- IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
GENERAL HARA AND HIS TEAM WHICH
HAS A LOT OF YOUNG PEOPLE THAT
CAN DO A TON OF
WORK, WE WILL HAVE EXPERT
HEALTHCARE IN COMBINATION WITH
THAT EXCELLENT TEAM SO WE CAN
FILL ANY SPACES
SO I THINK THEY WILL NEED TO BE
BIG ISLAND. HILO HOSPITAL WILL
BE DEPLOYING THEIR REGIONAL
TESTING
CENTER ON TUESDAY AT 8AM SO WE
WILL FINALLY HAVE THE STATE
COVERRED FOR OUTPATIENT CAPACITY
I WILL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW UP ON
TESTING AND SCREENING CAPACITY
STATEWIDE. GINA
MANGIERI, KHON2 NEWS, ALWAYS
INVESTIGATING.