The MCH block in the Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode, has been converted as a facility to treat only COVID-19 cases.
District Medical Officer V. Jayasree said in a release on Wednesday that outpatient services would continue to be available at the hospital. Services of the gynaecology and paediatrics departments would not be available at the Government General Hospital from now on. They would be available at the Government Hospital for Women and Children at Kottaparamba in the city.
According to sources, current suspected COVID-19 patients and those tested positive for the virus at the General Hospital would be shifted to the MCH. Isolation wards would continue to function at the General Hospital.
The specialty OP services and casualty services at the MCH would be available at the superspecialty block and at the General Hospital. If the number of COVID-19 patients went up, more isolation wards would be set up at the General Hospital. If more number of patients came to the MCH, the less severe cases would be shifted to the General Hospital.
Database
Unused ventilators at other hospitals would be shifted to the General Hospital. The district programme manager of Arogya Keralam had been asked to prepare a database of critical care specialist doctors in Kozhikode and train them in handling ventilator care and critical care. All the private hospitals should be ready to handle emergency cases and all the major ones should have the minimum isolation facilities. It should also be ensured that non-COVID-19 emergency cases were not left out.
Dr. Jayasree said that all diseases other than those with COVID-19 symptoms could be treated at nearby taluk hospitals and community health centres (CHC). OP services would be available at CHCs and primary health centres till 6 p.m. and in-patient treatment too would be offered at all CHCs. Round-the-clock treatment would be available at the General Hospital and the district hospital.
