All forms of medical services, including elective surgeries, will resume in government hospitals under the purview of Director of Medical Education (DME). Orders to stop elective surgeries were issued on March 17 in view of preparedness for COVID-19.
However, Gandhi Hospital and Government Chest Hospital will continue to function as ‘nodal COVID-19 centres’. A part of Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital will also continue as isolation centre.
In fresh orders issued on Saturday, DME K. Ramesh Reddy directed all superintendents of teaching and speciality hospitals to restore all services immediately. He has advised usage of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), N95 masks and other measures for safety of the hospital personnel.
To avoid overcrowding, social distancing will have to be maintained in wards and out-patient (OP) sections. This is a crucial measure as OP sections and hospital wards tend to be overcrowded and superintendents struggle to limit number of attendants for patients admitted to in-patient wards.
Though OP services were offered at some of the hospitals during lockdown, registrations were low due to restrictions on movement on roads.
Heads of hospitals were directed to operate separate Fever Clinics to avoid mingling of patients suffering from fever with other OP patients. “If any patient in OP section or someone brought to the hospital has symptoms of COVID-19, they should be kept in isolation ward, take all precautions and follow the protocols prescribed by Indian Council of Medical Research,” Dr Reddy stated in a circular.
It may be noted that Telangana High Court had, on May 15, directed the government to appoint nodal officers in all red zones or hot spots — localities witnessing a high number of COVID-19 cases — so that people living there can rely on them to access non-COVID health services.
