Critical Communications Solution For Hutt Valley Hospital

Summary

Challenge

The construction of the hospital and safety measures put in place due to COVID-19 have worsened the historical lack of signal in this building
Complete the works safely and with minimal disruption to staff and patients in the 24/7 emergency department

Solution

2 x CEL-FI QUATRA Network Units
2 x CEL-FI QUATRA Coverage Units
2 x Blackhawk XPOL MIMO external antennas

Results

Medical staff can now be contacted 24/7

The Challenge

Hutt Valley Hospital in New Zealand is committed to healthy people, healthy families and healthy communities. This hospital strives to constantly innovate patient care and wellbeing. The hospital has experienced very poor cellular connectivity for its entire history. Emergency department doctors have been unable to get phone service in several areas of the emergency building. The inability to make use of instant communication options, such as mobile phones causes the clinical risk to patients.

The COVID-19 pandemic made it critical for Hutt Valley Hospital to find a reliable cellular connectivity solution. The emergency department was locked down to increase isolation between patients and hospital staff. This only worsened the amount of cellular signal able to penetrate the building. Management at the hospital contacted Manawatu-Wanganui based installer, Remote Networks, to get expert advice on the hospital’s requirements.

The Solution

Powertec’s expert installer, Remote Networks, developed a tailored solution for Hutt Hospital’s emergency department. CEL-FI QUATRA was selected for several reasons; its installation efficiencies and its scalability. This product allows for longer cable runs, without sacrificing connection strength. The option of adding additional units in the future is also a bonus for a hospital of this size.

To capture the signal from the nearby Vodafone and Spark cellular towers, two Blackhawk XPOL MIMO antennas were installed on the roof of the hospital. Coaxial cable was used to connect the external antennas to each CEL-FI QUATRA Network Unit and then through to the Coverage Units. From here the signal is dispersed to all cellular devices.

Additional caballing was run through to the EOC/ control centre to allow additional units to be added should it be required in the future. Remote Networks were able to deliver an industry-leading solution in one day, which reduced disruption to emergency staff and hospital admin team members.

The Results

The installation of the multi-carrier CEL-FI QUATRA system by Remote Networks has ensured that medical staff can now be contacted 24/7; reducing the potential risks of poor communications in the emergency department.

Workplace health and safety has been improved dramatically; it has also enabled the strict COVID-19 isolation measures to remain in place with zero effect on the penetration of the cellular signal. Hospital staff and management are very happy with the results.

Contact us today to help with your Cellular Coverage Problems

This CEL-FI installation was undertaken by our partners, in which CEL-FI has a global footprint in almost 100 countries. For a referral to a local expert in your area, please contact us via phone or email.

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