It is well documented that COVID can be carried on the soles of shoes. It makes sense not to allow patients who are already vulnerable to be exposed to additional risk by creating simple rules. I applaud doctors who continue to try and treat the sublimely idiotic among us while risking their own lives!

Bullshiit!

Frederick Smith could have sprayed or wiped the soles of Mr. Johnson's shoes with isopropyl alcohol 70%+ which would have instantly killed any covid-19 virus present, much faster than even concentrated bleach. Moreover, what about Frederick Smith's own footwear?!

Here we see a man ill-suited to be a medical doctor; a man more concerned about the rules and his orders being obeyed than the health issues of his patient. He reminds me of another medical doctor who seems to think the same way warped way.

… and you honestly believe that a doctor should wipe the bottom of a resistant patients shoes in this scenario or engage staff for this additional function as opposed to asking ALL persons to simply leave their shoes? Really?
Without knowing all the details that the doctor and staff would know, the story is clear that there are those who had no difficulty complying with the suggestion! Do they even have alcohol in amounts to provide this additional service? I don't know, but this is akin to business saying that if you do not have a mask on you cannot enter their business, I do not see that as wrong, in this situation where a potential threat exists to others!!

Perhaps the man has great difficulty removing his shoes. They likely will not allow his son to come in to assist in taking the shoes off and putting them on. This doctor is ruthless.

@joeblow: You obviously haven't heard about the Pope washing the unclean feet of prisoners at Easter time....but I guess that would be even more lowly for a medical doctor or medical assistant to do than spraying the soles of a patient's shoes with isopropyl alcohol 70%+ if need be. And no medical doctor should unnecessarily withhold vital medical treatment from any patient simply because they may happen to be a little disagreeable, especially when there is more than one easy way available to skin the cat. All physicians take an important oath for their privilege to practice medicine and if they can't live up to it then they should simply hang up their white robe for good.

no Mudda. this is my perspective:

1) One kidney doctor has already died from COVID-19 (Judson Eneas).

2) Dr Sands recently said that around 15 COVID positive cases are doctors, that did not include nurses.

3) They just recently had to close a ward because of one COVID patient who had no symptoms.

4) The way I see it, is the director of the department has a duty to protect himself, his staff and other patients who use that department. That would involve having rules in place. Bahamians simply do not like to follow simple rules. Look at how many people cannot follow the simple advice to have one designated shopper per household (every time I go in the grocery store there are people in groups of 2 or 3 three shopping or wearing their masks below their noses).

5) Imagine what would happen to other patients if they had to close dialysis to sanitize.

I find it more egregious to ask the elderly to remove their shoes going through security for domestic flights!

But presumably you readily accept you would not want the following hard-and-fast rules put in place to fully protect the categories of persons indicated from occupational harm:

Firemen should not fight fires;

Policemen should not stop crime;

Soldiers should not enter combat zones;

Medical doctors should not treat their patients;

And so on.

Incidentally, even TSA officials will allow an elderly diabetic suffering from swollen feet with serious nerve pain to keep his or her shoes on by electing a physical pat-down type inspection in lieu of the more common machine scanned one. And no doubt this is because they recognize it is better to exercise good discretion and temperance in cases where doing so is clearly warranted.

If PMH doesn't even have fifty cents disposable foot covering for their patients' good luck they'll have a virus test kit when you need one?

Pick your battles. No need to fight. Enjoy your last days.

When flying to the USA everyone takes off their shoes gladly without being asked and without a squeak. When they arrive in the USA and jumps into a vehicle they put on their seatbelts, automatically. When in the USA they comply to the T. When they return home they feel as though now I am home I don't have to respect any laws of the Bahamas they don't want to comply, they only want to complain and stir up trouble. If the protocol is shoes have to be removed, then remove them, the time you take being stubborn, non-complainant, argumentative, running around complaining you can just do like when in the USA. COMPLY.

When you go to the Bahamas Humane Society and certain viruses are active, you have to step into a foot bath ( shoes on) before you enter the Building. Athletes and persons who use public showers develop athletes foot and jock itch ( not sure what it’s called in females) because bacteria develops in the shower or on the floor of the locker room. They then develop jock itch be either allowing underwear to come in close contact with the floor or even by passing the underwear over their own ( infected) feet. But persons who walk around in socks are even more at risks of picking up something especially if they jump in bed with the same socks they walked around in all day. and especially if they have pets or have stray animals roaming the area where they walk. Single use plastic bags are scarce, but you can take two bags to cover your feet when found dialysis .

Tell your Dad to comply and stop being a belligerant a**-hole.

You would be much more tolerant if you were a diabetic with swollen feet that cause severe nerve pain.

I sincerely hope you're not a healthcare provider, especially one with such views who might like to think of himself as being a qualified M.D.

The only thing that i can say about this it that Giavano must have inherited some of his
mother's ways due to the fact that his response was to go to the media . I say this because
with a father on dialysis, who tells the doctor that he is not taking off his "effin" shoes,comes
back the next day with the same attitude, then Giavano's response should have been,at
minimum to return with a cutlass.

Put him diabetic patient with shoes on a gurney/stretcher/wheelchair and wrap it with suitable material mabye plastic bags, plastic gown over his feet with shoes still on and tape it.....and as to the other individual cussing in hospital use the appropriate procedures.

I support 100% our doctors. They are putting their life on the line, many have been infected and some have died. Contamination of the hospital from infected shoes would be a disaster and could result in many deaths. Follow the hospital rules or stay home.

BTW how would father and son feel if they caught Covid 19 at the hospital because others did not follow protocol? I bet this would have resulted in a much bigger "row".

A patient denial of shoe removal leading to withholding lifesaving medical treatment in other words is called medical negligence.
Both Smith, alluding to be a doctor, and the risk manager, who concedes to Smith's foot fetish delusions should both be temoved from the facilty, and not reinstated intil they are both investigated and their mental status stabilizes.
Mr. Bowe, you and your dad Mr. Johnson are both correct not to follow auch a ridiculous rule.