Hyderabad: Covid-19 patients may soon be able to have an attendant with them in the hospital.
The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has written to the chief secretaries of all state governments that a ‘willing attendant of the patient’ can be cleared to remain in an ‘area earmarked by the hospital’.
Union health secretary Preeti Sudan said in the letter (dated July 26) that Covid-designated hospitals should create a help desk “accessible physically as well as by telephone” from where the well-being of patients admitted in hospital can be enquired.
Following receipt of the letter, the Telangana health department on Wednesday issued a note to the Director of Health Services, Commissioner Family Health, and Director of Medical Education to implement the instructions from the Centre.
In addition, the Centre also directed the states that all Covid-19 hospitals should install CCTV cameras to facilitate patient management and “for screening of footage by designated authorities or bodies” when remedial action is required. CCTV cameras should also be installed in areas handling the bodies of Covid-19 patients who have succumbed to the pandemic.
Further, the states have also been instructed to set up a team of doctors and other experts for inspecting hospitals treating Covid-19 patients. The team will make its recommendations to the state governments. The respective chief secretaries have been told to set up these committees in a week.
The Centre said the directions follow a Supreme Court order dated June 19 in a case on proper treatment of Covid-19 patients and a dignified handling of dead bodies, among other issues.
