COVID-19: Self-imposed quarantine for a section of healthcare personnel in Tamil Nadu

This is to prevent increased exposure to COVID-19, and to keep a reserve health workforce

The self-imposed quarantine is mainly for those directly involved in treatment and care of patients with symptoms, officials said. Photograph used for representational purposes only

A section of the health workforce -- doctors, nurses and paramedical staff -- in government medical college hospitals and government hospitals involved in the management of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) will be put under “self-imposed quarantine” at home in the State. This is to prevent increased exposure to COVID-19, and to keep a reserve health workforce.

The Directorate of Medical Education (DME) is all set to put a third of its workforce on a one-week self-imposed quarantine, while the Directorate of Medical and Rural Health Services (DMS) is sending one-fourth of the total human resources on quarantine. In both the directorates, only those hospitals that are involved in COVID-19 management would follow this guideline. This is mainly for those directly involved in treatment and care of patients with symptoms, officials said.

In a circular to all joint directors of health services, the DMS pointed out that the recent closure of Sri Chithirai Thirunal Institute at Trivandrum, the health administrators are of the view that not all healthcare providers should be exposed to the risk at a given point of time. It would be wise to have a reserve health force in case of contingencies. The joint directors were requested to plan suitably.

Accordingly, in facilities with isolation, quarantine/observation services, doctors, nurses and paramedics should be given self-imposed quarantine at home for a period of seven days which may be treated as on duty on a trial basis. One-fourth of the total human resource may be given such seven-day self quarantine with advice to strictly follow norms and avoid mingling with the general population either personally or professionally.

The reserve health force should report back to duty after completion of seven days or immediately on call in the evening of any emergency. The joint directors in consultation with hospital superintendents/chief medical officers may arrive at the list of human resources to be given self-imposed quarantine for the next four weeks.

Officials of the DME said this would apply especially to government medical college hospitals managing COVID-19, including outpatient services and treatment. “This is especially for medical and paramedical staff who are directly in contact with patients suspected to have symptoms of COVID-19 and work in isolation wards. This includes physicians, radiologists, anaethetists, paediatricians and obstetricians who are directly exposed to patients, and are at risk,” an official said.