Patients admitted to hospitals with symptoms of COVID-19 and those without it have to be attended separately, instructed Health Minister Eatala Rajender on Tuesday.
In the wake of relaxations of lockdown norms, the Minister held a meeting with senior officials of the Health department where discussions were focussed on precautionary measures that have to be taken at government and private hospitals. He directed officials to ensure all medical services are offered in every hospital.
‘Stay alert’
As more number of people venture out of their homes, there is a need to be alert. Stating that living with the virus is inevitable until a vaccine is found, Mr. Rajender urged people to cooperate in containing transmission.
More caution has to be exercised in the case of children and the elderly. Anyone with cough or fever must get checked, he added.
Indian Council of Medical Research released version 5 of COVID-19 testing strategy in India on Monday. According to that, all symptomatic healthcare workers or frontline workers involved in containment and mitigation of COVID have to be tested.
Mr Rajender said they will follow the strategy in testing symptomatic staff of Health, Municipal and police departments who are in front line of containment of the infectious disease.
Medicine stock in primary health centres was also reviewed. Managing Director of Telangana State Medical Service and Infrastructure Development Corporation K. Chandrasekhar was directed to ensure that oxygen supply is maintained at all hospitals as some COVID-19 patients could develop respiratory problems.
Director of Public Health and Family Welfare G. Srinivasa Rao and Director of Medical Education K. Ramesh Reddy were among those present in the meeting.
