Union health ministry on Friday issued advisory to hospitals and medical education institutions regarding infrastructure requirements in view of COVID19 epidemic, following which Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences issued orders cancelling all routine procedures.
The advisory by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare(MoHFW) has urged the health and medical institutions in J&K and acrossIndia to prepare their infrastructure for COVID19 infection, patients of whichare feared to rise in coming days. The hospitals have been directed to postponeall non-essential surgeries till 31st March, when the advisory will berevisited. The hospitals, both government and private, have been advised tospare beds for COVID19 patients.
Hospitals have been askedto procure ventilators and high speed oxygen flow masks “in preparation forfuture requirements” as well as have trained manpower to run these ventilatorsand provide intensive care unit. The hospitals have also been asked to mobilizeresources and ensure masks, gloves and personal protective gear for the staffas well as train their human resource in infection control measures.
The advisory has also urged patients to desist from visitingOPDs for routine checkups while hospitals have been asked to organize OPDs in amanner that “patients exhibiting flu like symptoms” are attended separately.”Patients suffering from chronic diseases and minor ailments may be advised toutilize OPDs in primary/secondary care facilities rather than crowding tertiarycare centers,” reads the advisory.
Following the advisory,SKIMS, issued a circular cancelling all elective surgeries and procedures atthe Institute. The circular, issued by medical superintendent Dr Farooq Jan,said that the decisions on patient flow had been taken after a video conferencewith Chief Secretary. However, the circular read, emergency surgeries, cancersurgeries, and life saving intervention procedures will continue and so willcancer related daycare chemotherapy, radiation therapy and diagnostic serviceswhich are unavoidable.
The circular has also directed the heads of the departmentsof the Institute to manage their level I, II and III manpower as per therequirements.
No such order was issued by Government Medical CollegeSrinagar. Nodal officer for COVID19 at GMC Srinagar, Dr S Saleem Khan said OPDsand other areas were continuing as usual but patient flow had reducedconsiderably. He said GMC will review the requirements and advisories soon.