As a part of its intensifying efforts to prevent the spread of infection, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has set up more than 1,400 respiratory isolation rooms in the Kingdom's hospitals to receive patients with severe symptoms. The isolation rooms are of great importance in maintaining the health of patients and healthy people and preventing the transmission of infection to them from patients with serious infectious diseases. The isolation rooms are equipped with an air-conditioning system designed to prevent the transmission of diseases from one patient to another or to workers at the hospitals. In such a case, the air pressure inside the room is less than the outside.
According to MOH, medical isolation refers to preventing the patient from free contact with other patients, because he is infected or suspected of having an infectious disease. There are many types of isolation according to the means of transmission of the infectious disease. They include contact isolation such as infection with antimicrobial resistance, scabies, or droplets isolation for diseases spread through droplets caused by coughing and sneezing, such as patients suspected of having the novel coronavirus or bacterial meningitis. It may be airborne isolation for diseases spread via very small droplets, such as active tuberculosis.
Currently, MOH's hospitals have 1,449 negative pressure isolation rooms, in conformity with specifications in hospitals across the Kingdom. Also, work is currently underway to develop 713 air isolation rooms, which are expected to be completed in early 2021, to boost MOH's capabilities in isolating patients. In some cases and certain medical practices, air isolation rooms could be replaced with a single room equipped with highly efficient mobile air purifier. It is important to wear personal protective equipment and dispose of them in the correct manner after work is finished and adhering to hand hygiene and disinfection.
The Ministry provides 870 highly efficient mobile air purifiers that can be used in patient isolation rooms under droplets isolation procedures and in places of waiting and examining patients with respiratory symptoms to improve air quality in these areas.