MCH rises to challenge, turns into COVID-19 treatment centre

Others, including seriously-ill patients, shifted to different hospitals; Collector invokes Section 2 of Epidemic Diseases Act

Kochi/ Kerala, 23/03/2020: Government Medical College, Ernakulam, getting converted into COVID 19 Centre. First time in the State, a 500-bed hospital is getting strategically converted in anticipation of more patients testing positive for the corona virus disease. Hospital employees putting up the board for corona virus disease isolation at all entries to the medical college wards Photo: H.Vibhu.

Government Medical College Hospital (MCH), Ernakulam, is slowly turning into the State’s first COVID-19 treatment centre.

The hospital on Monday shifted other seriously-ill patients to different hospitals to cater exclusively for COVID-19 patients. Already, 90% of the other patients had either been shifted to new hospitals or discharged.

Cleaning of wards was also done simultaneously at the 500-bed hospital.

With the number of COVID-19 patients at the institution going up, chances of other patients getting infected also go up.

There are also a number of suspected COVID-19 cases at the hospital. In view of the situation, District Collector S. Suhas invoked Section 2 of the Epidemic Diseases Act 1897 to make the MCH an exclusive COVID-19 treatment facility for the time being.

Emergency OP

Only the dialysis unit will be functioning at the medical college along with an emergency OP.

No other emergency services will be available at the hospital.

Modern facilities

Meanwhile, isolation facilities in the district have been augmented. Modern facilities are being put in place for observation.

So far, there have been 30 isolation beds at MCH and 13 at the Muvattupuzha General Hospital. If required, the number of isolation beds will be increased to 40 and 39 respectively.

Doctors, nurses and attenders have also been appointed for isolation rooms.

They will work in six shifts as it is difficult to continue on duty with personal protection equipment for more than four hours.

In one shift, a doctor will be supported by two staff nurses, one attender, one cleaning staff, and one X-ray technician. Rooms will be cleaned and sanitised after every shift.

Directions have been given to cleaning staff to carefully handle utensils, bedsheets and clothes used by patients. For every person who takes up the shift duty, there will be personnel to help wear personal protection equipment and also to remove them when they end the duty.

Isolation rooms have been kept ready at taluk hospitals at Karuvelipady (18 beds), Thripunithura (20), Perumbavoor (24) and Paravur (26) and at Aluva district hospital (25 beds). There are also 80 beds available at Ayurveda Medical College, Thripunithura.