The Thanjavur Medical College which sees a large number of patients daily, has been selected by the Health Department for setting up a special ward with 100 beds to provide treatment for COVID-19 persons, if confirmed in the next few weeks, according to the Dean, Dr. Kumudha Lingaraj.
Every section in the hospital is operational. But patients have been requested to follow medical advise and take prescribed medicines so as to avoid visiting the TMC unless there is an emergency. Admissions are done only if it necessary, apart from cancellation of surgeries that could be done on a later date, according to the Dean.
While 40 beds each at the proposed ward would be allocated for patients under observation and for step-down patients (convalescing), the remaining beds would be allocated for those to be treated in isolation. Already, the staff deployed in the existing COVID-19 screening ward have been provided with face masks, she said and added that necessary protective gear would be made available to the persons to be posted at the 100-bed special ward.
While 8 persons who have travel history or contact and are being housed at the screening ward would get discharged on Monday, two others admitted in the ward would remain under observation for the next few days, the Dean added.
Meanwhile, out of the four gates of the institution two have been closed from Sunday while one gate has been earmarked for entry and exit of public and the other one for the hospital staff. Further, only one attendant was allowed to stay with the inpatients and all others were ordered to vacate the premises.
Regular disinfection exercise has been supplemented with the spraying of disinfectants on the cars and motorbikes used by the hospital staff and all those entering the premises have been subjected to hand-washing.
As on date none of the persons kept under surveillance in the hospital for COVID-19 virus has tested positive, she added and said that the results of two blood samples sent for COVID-19 test are awaited.
