Follow SOP to manage non-COVID patients safely, urges doctors' bodies
Kolkata: Representatives from eight organisations of doctors including Indian Medical Association (IMA) in the state have urged the state government to follow Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for management of non-COVID patients at the entry point of all the hospitals to prevent the collateral damage.
On Monday, a meeting was conducted at the IMA headquarters in the state where all the representatives including IMA state secretary and Trinamool MP Santanu Sen agreed and suggested 11 point measures to the state government to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Sen and others, if COVID and non-COVID patients are not segregated based on the symptoms, then chances of the contamination spreading would be high. To prevent such collateral damage, an SOP should be followed in both state-run and private hospitals. The state government should also consider adequate safety and security measures for all the healthcare workers. It is feared that if the healthcare workers get affected then they will become a bigger source of the epidemic.
The joint forum has urged the administration to provide protective measures as per the guidelines of ICMR and WHO.
"In the present situation the battle which we are fighting against COVID-19 cannot be won individually by any person or government or organisation. In such a situation, everyone should help each other and extend support to state government," said Koushik Lahiri, Vice-President of West Bengal Doctors' Forum.
This apart, the joint forum has requested the state government to include virologists, epidemiologists, pulmonologists and public health experts in the committees formed by the state government. The representatives from all the organisations also suggested conducting training sessions and drills for those attached with treatment of COVID-19 patients.
Keeping the situation of protective gear supply in view, the administration has been suggested to conduct audit at every level to avoid maldistribution and misuse of such equipment.
It has also been suggested to maintain ICMT guidelines while transporting healthcare workers, COVID-19 patients and suspected COVID-19 patients. This apart, provisions of comprehensive designated equipped healthcare facilities have been suggested for the healthcare workers who may have chance to get infected or are suspected to have been infected.
