COVID Spread In Odisha: Govt Issues Guidelines To Health Facilities

Bhubaneswar: In view of recent resurgence in COVID cases, the state government on Thursday issued a set of guidelines to the health facilities.

The Directorate of Health Services under Health and Family Welfare department, in an official order, directed the superintendents of all medical colleges & hospitals,
Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar, RGH in Rourkela, CDMOs and PHOs in districts to enforce the guidelines.

The order stated that the health institutions must ensure to maintain social distancing to decongest the facilities and prevent infection of healthcare personnel as well as non-COVID patients. It issued the following steps to be taken up by the facilities:

• Strict enforcement of COVID appropriate behaviour in hospital with infection control measures.
• Non-essential admission is to be avoided.
• All elective surgeries are to be stopped and emergency surgeries taken up with universal precautions.
• In indoor, one attendant to be allowed for serious patient and no attendant to be allowed inside the ward for ambulatory patient.
• In OPD, the medical officer should avoid advising frequent re-visit of the patients, if not required.
• Media may not be allowed inside OPD & IPD.
• Number of DDC counters should be increased and social distancing
  enforced.
• Dedicated fever clinic, isolation ward & testing facilities are to be established as per previous guideline.
• Must have facilities to deal with all types of emergency procedure including maternity and child care with COVID prevention protocol.
• People are to be encouraged to utilse existing telemedicine services for their ailments as per previous guideline.
• To ensure that no emergency case is denied timely medical care in the name of COVID.
• Ensure adequate signage/IEC material in strategic locations of the hospital to sensitise the patient & general public about COVID appropriate behaviour.
• Any other steps are to be adopted by hospital administration depending on local situation to ensure social distancing.
• Strict infection control practices to be ensured in hospitals as per advisory circulated earlier.