Tagging Mandatory at OPD Entrance of Private Hospitals for Segregating Patients /Attendants Coming from Hot Spot Districts
Bhubaneswar: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued additional Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for management of OPD/IPD Services of Private Hospitals/Nursing Homes in the capital city.
The SOP comes in the wake of the rise in COVID-19 cases in health facilities in the city.
“In recent past, it is seen that good number of COVID-19 patients have been detected in health facilities (both Pvt./Govt) in Bhubaneswar who have come from hotspot districts like Ganjam, Jajpur, Balasore, Gajapati, Cuttack etc for their treatment. These positive cases have been found from OPD & IPD both. Though the health facilities are following certain protocols as issued by Government, it is felt that some additional SOP’s to be put in place to check the spread of COVID-19 virus, the BMC said.
Additional SOP for management of OPD/IPD Services of Private Hospitals/Nursing Homes to be mandatorily followed by all health facilities in Bhubaneswar:-
A) For OPD Cases:-
• Triaging should be done at OPD entrance for segregating the patients /attendants coming from hot spot districts. They should not be allowed to mix with other patients/attendants.
• In case of suspect is identified (patient with Fever /SARI/ ILI symptoms ) COVID-19 test is recommended. it is the responsibility of the hospital to send his/her Nasopharyngeal sample/ Oropharyngeal sample for COVID 19 test & the Hospital will keep the detailed address and contact number of the such patients.
• Patients whose swabs have been collected for testing should be asked if he has adequate accommodation arrangement for his isolation in Bhubaneswar or not. If it is found that the patient don’t have adequate accommodation arrangement, will be shifted to Govt. quarantine centres till test results comes. The transportation of the patient to the quarantine centre will be the responsibility of the health care institution.
• The same procedure will be adopted for patients whose address is found to be from the slum area of Bhubaneswar. In such case also steps will be taken for collection of Swab Sample and shifting him to institutional quarantine facility.
• The hospital will appoint one nodal officer who will coordinate with the Deputy Commissioner, BMC Mr Kamaljeet Das (Mob: 9439431672) for coordination & shifting to quarantine centres.
• In case any sample found to be positive, the hospital will immediately inform the IDSP cell and BMC.
B) For IPD cases:
• If a patient is in IPD and detected positive then the guideline issued by Director Health Services vide letter No 8456 dated 28-03-2020 shall have to be followed strictly. For referring a positive case already in IPD/ICU to designated COVID hospital, the guideline issued by BMC vide order No 24364 dated 30-06-2020 will be followed.
• As a measure of extra precaution if an IPD patient whose swab has been collected for COVID testing, such patient in IPD may be treated as if he is a suspected COVID case and the requisite protocol followed for treatment of positive case be followed. This will reduce the risk of infection within the health care facility. Such IPD patients should be kept in the isolated bed of the hospital which is segregated from other areas of the hospital. preferably to a single cabin with attached toilet till detection of positive result & even after tested positive till shifting to COVID hospital is done.
• In case positive case is detected in healthcare institution, then aggressive contact tracing should be started from the hospital itself. Data collection must be initiated at the hospital level and be furnished to state IDSP cell & BMC for further action.
C) General instructions:-
• All the infection prevention protocols & Covid related protocols & guidelines as issues by Department of Health & Family Welfare should be strictly adhered by the Health institutions.
• The hospital should practise aggressive visitors restriction and should also enforce on its employees, coming from slum areas of the city, a 14 day duty roster schedule. The hospital should provide necessary accommodation for its on duty slum dwelling employees. The guidelines issued in this regard vide BMC order no 24136 dated 29- 06-2020 must be followed scrupulously.
• All category staffs of hospital should be trained on regular basis regarding updated guidelines released from Govt. of India/Odisha.
• All other essential services will continue maintaining standard precautionary measures namely Wearing of masks, physical distancing of 2 metres between individuals and regular hand washing practices In addition to adhering the Infection Prevention Control guidelines.