Record patient info, notify us, Odisha govt tells private practitioners
BHUBANESWAR: In view of the rising number of Covid-19 cases among healthcare professionals, the state government on Friday asked private medical practitioners to keep a record of the patients visiting them and be open to inspection by government authorities as part of the fresh guidelines issued by it.
The health department has issued a fresh set of guidelines for the medical practitioners and clinics, making stipulations almost similar to the big hospitals.
The government has asked the private practitioners to have separate fever clinics and isolation facilities in their consultation chambers just like in hospitals. If any person from a hotspot area or a containment zone visits the doctors, they have to send them to the OPD of the nearest Covid hospitals. The doctors have to notify all cases of severe acquired respiratory illness (SARI) and influenza like illness (ILI) to the district surveillance unit.
“The practitioner must ensure social distancing and maintain infection prevention and control protocol scrupulously,” the health department order issued by additional chief secretary (health) Pradipta Kumar Mohapatra said. “In case a doctor is found to be negligent, action will be taken,” the order further said. Mohapatra said the government has observed that many healthcare personnel were getting infected. “Infection among healthcare workers is not only a risk to their wellbeing, but also a threat to those who come in contact with them. This may also lead to the shortage of available healthcare personnel,” while emphasizing on strict adherence to norms.
Doctors welcomed the move. “Any initiative to prevent infection is a welcome move. The measures to prevent infections have to be followed properly at all levels for the effective control of the disease. If all the patients seeking care are registered, contact tracing in case of any infection will be easier,” Dr Jayant Kumar Dash, senior consultant of plastic and cosmetic surgery, said. He runs Dash Plastic Surgery Clinic.
Earlier on June 24, the state government had asked the private hospitals to train their employees in infection prevention and control measures (IPC) within seven days. The Directorate of Medical Education and Training (DMET) had asked the private hospitals to “submit a certificate that all their staff are trained in and are following the prescribed IPC required during the pandemic.”