COVID Preparedness what Medical Establishments can do by KK AggarwalPresident CMAAO, HCFI and Past National President IMA

On Mar 15, 2020

COVID Preparedness what Medical Establishments can do by KK AggarwalPresident CMAAO, HCFI and Past National President IMA

Here are some suggestions

1. Make available surgical masks at entry, labs and imaging centers for patients with cough and fever

2. Undertaking at admission about cough and fever and visiting affected countries

3. No visitors allowed for social visits

4. Advertise telecalls consultations for patients with fever and cough

5. Allow video consults for non-emergent appointments especially for high risk patients

6. Postpone non-essential surgeries for high risk elderly

7. Decontaminate all ports of entry and all frequently touched surfaces three times a day

8. Non-essential admin offices to be shifted out of hospital

9. Do not conduct non-essential meetings in hospital auditoriums

10. Make ten bedded Pota cabins for infected cases. Take special permissions from the government

11. Have enough SPO2 monitoring and non-invasive ventilators in the emergency department and ICU

12. SMS all patients about corona prevention and not to come to hospital if they have fever and cough but call the hospital helpline number if possible

13. All hospitals should have a covid 19 help line 24X7

14. Make surgical mask available to all healthcare workers

15. Give work from home permission to all health care providers who are 60+ and high risk for corona death.

16. Display uniform COVID 19 messages at the entrance

17. Do not organise health camps

18. Do not have people waiting at OPD or diagnostic areas

19. Cash counters should have disinfection policy

20. Minimize paperwork, do not touch currency with saliva

21. Alternate sittings in OPDs so that all maintain a distance of three feet on the sides, front and back.

Treatment options in High Risk Co-Morbid patients

1. Do early CT scan

2. Give Oseltamivir on day 1 as per H1N1 protocol

3. Start Lopinavir plus Ritonavir as the diagnosis is suspected

4. Give a course of Chloroquine

5. Procure Remdesevir

6. Arbidol, an antiviral drug used in Russia and China for treating influenza, could be combined with Darunavir

7. Homeopathy: Consider COVID 19 nosodes research