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.
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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.
