Coronavirus: Clinical Support Team for Wuhan evacuees have gone above and beyond

When the Ministry of Health called for assistance from health providers and staffing agencies, the team at Geneva Healthcare and Staffing were the ones who responded and urgently put together a package of on the ground support. Geneva was able to provide the necessary ground clinical screening and ongoing wellness support for all arriving evacuees on board the government-chartered mercy flight from Wuhan. The off boarding clinical operation was closely coordinated between Geneva and the Ministry of Health.

“Given the gravity of the situation, we can understand why some health providers will have reservations in providing health staffing support for this sensitive operation. We’ve always had a great partnership with the Ministry of Health; and given our capability and expertise in this field since 1996, we are confident that we can deliver. It was challenging, but we did it – and it was the right thing to do,” says Shane King, Geneva Staffing Manager. “We are well placed to provide the required medical equipment. Our nursing and healthcare assistant team are fully qualified, trained and well prepared for this operation, and have been provided all the necessary equipment for safest possible practice.”

The Geneva team also provided the necessary health assistance during the transport of all evacuees to the quarantine centre at the Whangaparaoa naval training base. Their Health and Safety Quality Team were also heavily involved in the set-up of the facility to ensure positive health and safety management practices were in place. The team will provide wellness support and 24/7 health assessment of all evacuees during their 14-day stay at the base.

“Everyone seems to be settling well at the quarantine centre. Evacuees are well catered for and well informed. Our Geneva team can see how grateful the evacuees are for all the support they are getting," says Shane. "At the end of the day, they are our mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers who were trapped in a desperate situation and simply wanted to come home to their family and loved ones. We ought to be there to support them for as long as they and the Ministry need us,” he adds.

“We also need to give a lot of credit to all the health staff who have not only answered the call of duty, but have gone above and beyond, sacrificing family time, by staying 24/7 at the quarantine centre. We must acknowledge their sacrifice, courage and their commitment to support those in need to the best of their ability. We need to ensure that they are taken care of as well,” Shane concludes.

About Geneva Healthcare

We are New Zealand’s trusted experts in aged care, illness, injury & disability support. Since 1996, we’ve been supporting New Zealanders to live their best life and thrive by keeping well, living independently and staying connected with their community. We are also the industry’s specialists in Temporary Staffing and Permanent Recruitment services that support healthcare facilities nationwide and overseas with reliable and quality total staffing solutions.

We are part of the New Zealand Health Group, the country’s largest provider of Home and Community services, including in-home support, nursing, rehabilitation and behavioural support. Through its companies, it provides healthcare services to over 30,000 New Zealanders and employs over 12,000 caregiving, nursing and other health professional staff. Having operated in the sector for over 30 years, New Zealand Health Group has built up an enviable reputation for relentlessly pursuing better techniques and systems to be able to provide the very best of care and support for those New Zealanders who need help to live in their own homes as independently as possible.

Geneva Healthcare work closely with the Ministry of Health, District Health Boards, Ministry of Social Development, and with ACC as a preferred national provider to give our Clients 24/7 wraparound support with our qualified, security-checked, Geneva Certified workers, nurses and Allied Health professionals, who are carefully selected to match their needs. Our clinically approved support plans are personalised for our Client’s requirements and preferences.

With a highly trained, multicultural workforce and offices nationwide, we are a leading force in the industry known for creativity and technology driven innovative solutions that enable us to be more responsive in the delivery of high quality healthcare and recruitment services.