Telangana government prods super speciality hospitals on Covid zones

Hyderabad: Superspecialty hospitals in the State that are equipped with ICU and ventilator care facilities are told to create Covid zones in their facility for treating Covid-19 positive cases.

The Covid zone should have dedicated OT/post OP wards and labour rooms and all doctors and staff should wear protective gear as prescribed by ICMR.

Till recently, all corporate hospitals were sending in-patients admitted in their hospitals to Gandhi Gospital once their test report came out positive. Commenting on this development, Dr Bhaskar Rao, president of Telangana Super Specialty Hospitals Association stated that they might come into picture if cases shoot up. As of now positive cases in the State are not too high and hence patients testing positive are being sent to Gandhi Hospital for treatment, he said. If the State government's fresh guidelines to corporate and private hospitals are strictly implemented, a person who wishes to go for consultation or any other medical service cannot take more than one attendant along with him.

This is being done to avoid overcrowding inside the hospital premises. Also, hospitals were told to put full stop to routine visiting hours allowed for visiting in-patients who get admitted to the hospital. Telangana Network Hospitals Association president Dr V Rakesh felt that this practice of one attendant for one patient is not just the need of hour during Corona pandemic but it should be followed forever. Overcrowding in hospitals poses health risk to other patients, doctors and staff working tirelessly and with commitment to save people's lives, he felt.

Meanwhile, all hospitals in the state were told to follow of slew of instructions as they get back to resumption of services that were restricted due to Corona pandemic and lockdown.

Private clinics and poly clinics that function in every street in nook and corner of the city were also given permission to reopen but have to function with certain conditions. Appointments have to given to just 4 or 5 patients per hour with only one attendant allowed.

All clinics and nursing homes have been told to refer all fever and influenza like illness cases to Covid hospitals.

However, private and corporate hospitals were told to provide a separate area for checking Covid suspect cases with attached isolation ward/rooms. Physical distancing, using sanitisers, PPE and N 95 masks for health care staff have to be followed without fail.