Hyderabad: Private hospitals are urging doctors and staff not to panic with one confirmed case of Covid-19 in Telangana state, as there are many flu cases reported to hospitals every day and most are harmless. With the staff of Apollo Hospital in Secunderabad coming in contact with the Covid-19 positive patient, there is understandable fear among health professionals and preventive measures like regular and thorough hand hygiene and other protocols is being emphasised.
Paramedical staff and doctors are the first line of care in hospitals and the continuous medical education programme with precautions is being revisited to deal with the cases.
The state government has asked all private hospitals to check the travel history of their patients and those who have recently travelled to the Covid-19 affected countries must be immediately referred to Gandhi Hospital.
Dr Bhaskar Rao, managing director of KIMS Hospital, who attended a meeting with state health minister Etala Rajendra, said, “We have been asked to inquire about travel history of our patients. This has been added in the Covid-19 guidelines for private hospitals. We have asked everyone to follow the protocols.”
Doctors and staff in hospitals have to wear masks when they are in the wards and those suffering from flu, cough and cold must maintain a distance of two metres from others.
The pulmonology and emergency departments, where patients arrive first, require medical staff to be in protective gear of gown, gloves, N-95 respiratory masks and eye protection.
