In wake of the rise in the COVID-19 cases in Jammu and Kashmir, administration at Srinagar’s Shri Maharaja Hari Singh (SMHS) hospital has decided to stop the Out-Patient Department (OPD) and said that only surgeries of emergency nature, malignancies and other referral cases shall be entertained.
News agency KNO reported that the decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Principal Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar with the heads of the departments yesterday regarding the preparedness of the hospital to deal with COVID-19.
It was decided in the meeting to stop the operation of OPDs, adding that only surgeries of emergency nature, malignancies and other referral cases shall be entertained.
Furthermore, the patient load vis-à-vis duty roaster of doctors and paramecia staff shall be regulated and rationalized.
In the meeting, it was also decided that ward numbers 02, 03, 3A, 04, 18, 19, 20, isolation/drug De-Addiction Centre, paid rooms, MICU, SICU, w-17 and disaster management ward shall be designated as COVID-19 wards.
“Ward number 01 shall function exclusively for ENT department, besides, ENT department shall carry out surgeries on their designated Operation Theatre. Ward number 08 comprising 36 beds shall be operated by Medicine (30 beds) as non-COVID ward and Dermatology (06 beds) jointly as rush increases,” an order issued in this regard reads.
Medical Superintendent SMHS Hospital, Dr Nazir Chowdhary told KNO that 203 beds have been designated as COVID beds at the hospital.
He said that the rush of patients has been increasing with each passing day, saying that nearly 30 patients are being admitted at the hospital on a regular basis.
He added that adequate supply of oxygen and other related things are available at the hospital at present.