Odisha govt issues fresh Covid guidelines for hospitals

Bhubaneswar: The Health and Family Welfare Department issued a fresh set of guidelines for Medical Colleges and Hospitals, district headquarters hospitals, Capital Hospital and RGH as Covid cases surged in Odisha.

The guidelines have been also been issued to decongest the health facilities and ensure healthcare personnel and non-Covid patient do not get infected.

The Covid protocol for the healthcare facilities are as follows:

• Strict enforcement of Covid appropriate behavior in hospital with infection control measures

• Non-essential admission is to be avoided

• All elective surgeries are to be stopped and emergency surgeries need to be taken up with universal precautions

• In indoor one attendant is 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 revisit of the patient if not required

• Media may not be allowed inside OPD and IPD

• Number of DDC counters should be increased and social distancing enforced

• Dedicated fever clinic, isolation ward and testing facilities are to be established as per the guideline issued earlier

• 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 utilise existing telemedicine services for their ailments as per the guideline issued earlier

• To ensure that no emergency case is denied timely medical care in the name of Covid

• Ensure adequate signage and IEC material in strategic locations of the hospital to sensitise the patient and general public about Covid appropriate behavior.

• Any other steps are to be adopted by hospital administration depending on local situation to ensure social distancing

• Strict infection control practices should be ensured in hospitals as per the advisory