30/03/2020
Dear Patients,
As many of you know my clinic has been temporarily closed in view of the COVID-19 pandemic and I have been providing telephone consultations for the past few days. We are in the phase of the pandemic where we are having local transmission, so seeing patients in an open door clinic is not safe since an infected patient could infect vulnerable patients. The same risks apply for home visits, since I can see a patient who has the virus, get myself infected and without knowing I can transmit it to the patients I see afterwards.
My commitment is to provide the best possible medical care to you in any situation, delivered in the best possible and cost-effective way.
The current COVID-19 pandemic is proving to be an unprecedented challenge to us health care professionals, to the country and the rest of the world. These extraordinary circumstances require that we make extraordinary decisions and develop new ways how we can function socially and how we can deliver our services.
Consequently, this situation requires that I find other ways how to care for your medical needs. This can be done safely through telemedicine. Over the past few days several of you required my service and I am happy to say that through telephone consultations I was able to care for your needs.
I have been trying to improve on my current set up and below I will explain how my practice will operate for the coming weeks/ months until the pandemic is over.
How it works:
1. If you are feeling sick, please book an appointment for a video consultation on drpamelagauci.setmore.com or press the ‘book now’ button on my page. If you do not manage to book an appointment, call me or send me a message and I will book an appointment for you myself.
2. If you just have a simple question, there is no need to book an appointment. Just send me a message via SMS or WhatsApp.
3. Whenever possible, we try to carry out a video consultation rather than a phone discussion, since by seeing each other we can communicate better and I would be able to treat you better. The system I will use for the video consultation is a specialised Telemedicine system designed for doctors and it is very easy to use - you can watch a video on this link on how to use it - https://youtu.be/yJf9N9sjDLI
4. If you have a rash or skin lesion take a photo before the video consult and send it to me via WhatsApp so I can see it beforehand. If you have a sore throat, ask someone to take a photo of your throat by lighing up your throat with a torch and then using the mobile phone with flash turned on to take the photo.
5. If for some reason you do not manage to use this system, we will discuss over the phone.
6. In most cases I will be able to treat you without the need to see you personally. I will send a message with all the medications you will need to take and how to take them.
7. If I suspect you might have Covid-19, I will guide you on how to have a swab taken. If needs be we can communicate every day.
8. If I feel that I need to examine you and I am confident that there is a low risk for you to have Covid-19 infection, then I will give you a specific date and time to see you at my clinic in Zabbar behind closed doors. If you are an adult you will be seen on your own at the clinic. A child will be seen with one parent/guardian. I will be wearing a protective mask, face shield/ goggles, gloves and apron. All the necessary safety precautions will be taken. The consultation will not last longer than 10 minutes in order to minimise the risk of infection. Any referrals or paperwork required can be sent digitally and any necessary follow-up will be organized.
9. Payments - My commitment during these times is to take care of you. As such, I will not be asking for a fixed fee for my services because I believe my patients' wellbeing is what matters. However I'd be grateful if, in appreciation of my effort, you send what you feel is right, both in terms of your financial capacity and the satisfaction from my service. I will be accepting payments digitally via Revolut or BOV mobile. If for some reason you have none of the above then you can opt to pay in due course when the pandemic passes. Please write your name in payment reference.
If you have a private insurance let me know and I will send you a scanned claim form and receipt, so that you can claim your fee.
I would appreciate if everyone co-operates, and please be patient and understanding. I might not answer your call or message immediately but as many of you know I will always call back.
I would be grateful if you could let your relatives and friends know about all of this and spread the word especially to all those who do not have Facebook. Reassure the elderly that I am aware that they might not be able to use a digital device but they can still call me from their telephone and I will still be able to take care of them.
Remember, stay at home, avoid social contact as much as possible unless really necessary, take special care of the elderly and those who suffer from a chronic medical condition. Use this time at home to call or carry out video chats with your loved ones, elderly and friends. Play with your children, spend quality time with your partner and offer your help whenever you can.
Together we will beat this.
Take care,
Dr Pamela Gauci MD, MMCFD
Book an appointment with Dr Pamela Gauci using Setmore
