india

Updated: Apr 15, 2020 13:15 IST

The Bengal government has finally formulated a standard operating procedure (SOP) to stop mixing of Covid-19 suspects with non-Covid patients in state-run hospitals. This came after a few state-run and private hospitals got hit when some patients were detected with coronavirus while they were being treated in general wards along with other patients.

Various wards in state-run and private hospitals had to be closed down for sanitization, dozens of doctors and nurses had to be sent in quarantine and samples of many non-Covid patients had to be tested because they had all come in close contact with Covid-19 suspects. The suspects ultimately turned out to be coronavirus patients.

“The SOP was formulated to stop mixing of Covid suspects with others. The SOP contains detailed guidelines on how Covid-19 suspects should be handled at the emergency sections and in other wards of hospitals. It also includes guidelines on how to handle relatives of such patients and suspects,” said a top official of the state health department. The SOP was issued on Tuesday.

On April 12, a woman was detected with Covid-19 soon after giving birth at the Calcutta Medical College and Hospital. The woman and her newborn had to be separated, the labour and surgery room had to be closed down for two days for sanitization and other patients in adjacent beds also had to be tested. Doctors’ samples had to be tested and they were asked to go in quarantine.

Earlier, other state-run hospitals such as RG Kar Medical College and Hospital and NRS Medical College and Hospital were also hit for similar reasons – general patients, being treated in general wards, were subsequently detected with the virus. A private hospital had to be temporarily closed down for sanitization and at least 40 medical staff of the hospital had to be quarantined after a patient died and was posthumously detected with the disease.

A few days ago, the superintendent of the Howrah state general hospital tested positive after handling Covid patients. More than 60 medical staff and some top officials of the district administration had to be quarantined.

“The SOP says that the hospital ward where low-key Covid-19 suspects are being kept will now be treated as potential confirmed Covid-19 patient ward. There will be separate elevators and trolleys for such patients. Security guards wearing PPE will screen all patients and relatives entering the emergency department with a thermal scanner,” said a top official of the health department.

Neither any patient nor any relative will henceforth be allowed to enter the hospital premises without wearing masks. Relatives won’t be allowed to enter isolation wards where suspected Covid patients are admitted. Healthcare staff, including ward boys, have been asked to wear PPE while approaching suspects.

“This SOP was absolutely important given the fact that pressure is mounting on hospitals and more suspects are coming in. The test results are taking at least 48 hours to reach us. This intervening period is very crucial. In north-Bengal, a Covid-19 suspect, who was treated alongside a Covid patient, later tested positive. We don’t know whether the second person contracted the disease during his stay at the hospital,” said Dr Sumon Poddar, associate professor, Institute of Child Health.