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After an incident in Gelnhausen, the Main-Kinzig clinics are increasing the protection of their patient rooms with a new window rule. This causes discomfort.
Schlüchtern/Gelnhausen – A new regulation “for securing windows and balconies” has been met with incomprehension – and this is a moderate choice of words – by patients and visitors, but also by employees of the Main-Kinzig Clinics, for a few days now. This was issued by the management of the district clinics at the two locations in Gelnhausen and Schlüchtern.
On notices for patients, the clinic management writes that for “your protection and the safety of all fellow patients, the windows and balcony doors in our building are always locked or only opened in the tilted position.” This serves to avoid potential dangers, especially “for particularly vulnerable and vulnerable patient groups who are at increased risk of unintentional dangers”.
New window rule at Main-Kinzig clinics is causing trouble
The windows can only be opened completely in exceptional cases and under the supervision of medical and nursing staff. There is also understanding for such a regulation among affected patients, but in some rooms the tilt position described cannot be adjusted and in some cases the windows can no longer be opened at all. A patient from Bergwinkel describes how she had to “escape” from a two-bed room in which a woman who had recently had an operation had to relieve herself in bed to the bathroom and toilet because the smell was almost unbearable without the window open.
The editorial team of our newspaper received such criticism from several people independently of each other. But they don't want to be mentioned by name because they fear disadvantages or at least inconvenience. Others have turned to official bodies such as the district health office in Gelnhausen. In response, his hospital hygiene team explained the “central ventilation system” (RLT), which was intended to prevent infections, “remove germs and ensure high air quality”.
The air exchange is carried out by the air conditioning system with a high proportion of outside air, so “window ventilation can be dispensed with in certain areas”. Tilt ventilation “can be used to help with unpleasant odors, but does not serve the goal of reducing germs or increasing the air exchange rate.”
Clinic management responded to an incident involving personal injury
When asked about the reason for the new regulation, the clinic management explained that it was “introduced immediately after an incident in Gelnhausen in which personal injury occurred.” Therefore, “immediate measures were taken” at both clinic locations. When asked, the clinic management did not want to provide any further information about this incident – “for data protection reasons”.
Windows are being retrofitted in certain areas of the clinics and appropriate specialist companies have already been commissioned. According to those companies, the implementation will be completed later this month. The requirements formulated in the notices only apply temporarily. Shock ventilation in the rooms “can be guaranteed at any time by the staff”.
For hygiene reasons, it is not planned to install air conditioning systems for air exchange in the patient rooms. However, in functional rooms where there are special requirements for the room temperature, “air conditioning systems are available. There are different functional areas that are designed to meet the respective needs in terms of ventilation and air conditioning,” says the district clinics' answers.
Specialist companies take care of permanent solutions to window problems
When asked about a time limit for the regulation, the answer is: “It is expressly a temporary interim measure. Specialist companies have already been commissioned to implement a permanent solution.” This affects all areas until the immediate measures initiated have been completed.
Depending on the room function and location, there are also different regulations. In intensive care or monitoring wards, window openings are “often not permitted due to the room air classification according to DIN 1946-4. In patient rooms without ventilation, windows must provide sufficient natural ventilation as long as there are no special requirements,” it explains. In the regular patient rooms, the windows “can continue to be opened or tilted by the staff, unless there are other safety-related reasons against it.” This is possible at any time in individual cases.
The intensive care area of the Main-Kinzig Clinics in Schlüchtern had recently been expanded. Two additional intensive care bed spaces were completed at the beginning of March.
