In a bid to conserve manpower for COVID19 cases, feared to rise in coming days, Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) has put half of its staff on standby from today.
An order issued by SKIMS on Thursday directed all heads ofthe departments to device rosters in such a way that 50 percent of the staffcould be kept standby. This, the order said, will help conserve the manpowerfor future needs.
The order also directs optimal utilization of disposableitems, like personal protective equipment (PPE) kits, N95 masks and otherconsumables, besides directing to rationalize stocks and materials.
The decision to take half of the staff off from hospital ispart of the COVID19 preparation by the hospital, Dr Farooq Jan, medicalsuperintendent SKIMS said. He said the wards were also being prepared toincrease the capacity for cases of coronavirus. “We are preparing a new20-bedded ICU,” he said.
The staff that will be off will need to be available with”one-hour response time”, reads the order.
SKIMS has also directed doctors, nurses and other healthcarestaff at the forefront of COVID19 to take up accommodation in hostels of theInstitute while faculty members have been provided with guesthouseaccommodation.
The specialties of pathology, clinical hematology,immunology, advanced genetic center and physical medicine have been directed tostay off and keep 2-3 persons available for emergency purposes.