HYDERABAD: Two samples are being taken from people who are self-reporting to Fever Hospital for suspected coronavirus. One is for test at the ICMR-accredited laboratory in Hyderabad and another for examination by the National Institute of Virology in Pune.
The Central team, comprising epidemiologist Dr Anitha Varma, respiratory medicine Profe-ssor Ajay Chauhan and microbiologist Dr Shu-bha Garg of National Centre for Disease Con-trol, visited the Gandhi Hospital on Wednesday morning. The team was there for half an hour and inspected the isolation ward, which had earlier been created for victims of swine flu.
The panel of experts recommended that a partition be formed between each bed in the isolation ward to prevent cross transmission. They wanted sanitary conditions to be improved. They checked usage of antiseptic solutions, which must be available to paramedical staff at all times. They enquired about protection gear for both nurses and doctors.
The Central team recommended that the state take pro-active preventive measures by creating awareness among people about the coronavirus. The number of cases reported so far has shown that awareness has helped people appr-oach government hospitals.
There is need to orient doctors and paramedical staff too. The experience of China has shown that they are the first point of contact for infected patients. Thus, they too need safety equipment.
The Central government has decided to carry out video conferences on preventive measures that healthcare workers must take to protect themselves.
