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Coronavirus: OPDs of PGIMER, five other government hospitals in Chandigarh closed
A day after the first case of coronavirus was confirmed in Chandigarh, the local administration on Thursday closed down the OPDs in all government hospitals, including
A day after the first case of coronavirus was confirmed in Chandigarh, the local administration on Thursday closed down the OPDs in all government hospitals, including the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER).
Only patients requiring emergency care may visit the OPDs for treatment at PGIMER; Government Multi-Specialty Hospital, Sector 16; Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32; Civil Hospital, Manimajra; Civil Hospital, Sector 45; and Civil Hospital, Sector 22, the order from the UT health department stated.
UT adviser Manoj Kumar Parida, addressing a press conference here on Thursday, said, “All other patients with mild illnesses, which require outpatient care, follow up care and elective cases, including dental patients, should not to visit the hospitals till March 31.”
Screening OPD for Covid-19 will continue at PGIMER’s New OPD Block and emergency wing. Besides, no scheduled surgeries at PGIMER will be performed from March 21 till further orders.
In Panchkula, the evening OPDs at the civil hospital in Sector 6 have been suspended until further notice. However, the morning OPDs and flu corner will continue as per normal schedule. All emergency services will continue as usual in all emergency wings of these hospitals.
Panchkula deputy commissioner Mukesh Kumar Ahuja said they had upgraded health facilities at the civil hospital in view of the coronavirus outbreak. “The private and psychiatric wards on the second and third floors have been converted into isolation wards. Apart from this, the staff and doctors of departments like psychiatry, ENT/eye, AYUSH, dental, lab and skin have been posted on 24-hour duty in the flu corner and isolation ward,” he said.
In addition, the surgery OPD has been converted into medicine OPD, and the flu corner will also work from 9am to 8pm on Sundays. “The number of isolation wards in private hospitals has also been increased. Apart from this, isolation wards are being set up in the hospitals of paramilitary forces with their help,” the DC said.
The Chandigarh and Mohali administrations on Thursday decided to stamp quarantined persons. The stamp, using indelible ink, will be marked on the back of the right hand, reflecting the last date of the 14-day quarantine period.
As of Thursday, 23 individuals in Chandigarh were home quarantined with a stamp on their hand.
ALL SPORTS COMPLEX IN CHANDIGARH SHUT
All private and public sports academies and complexes have been shut down in Chandigarh as a precautionary measure, Parida said.
DECISIONS EXPECTED TODAY
The UT administration will take a call on the postponement of the internal examinations going on in private and public schools in the city. It had already suspended classes at these schools.
“Also, the decision on the postponement of the census operation will be taken on Friday. As per the proposal submitted with the UT administrator, it will be postponed indefinitely. With the decision, the census training of different UT personnel, including teachers, will also be suspended immediately,” said UT adviser Manoj Parida.
A list of non-essential and essential UT departments has been prepared. The administration will decide on completely closing down the non-essential departments and whether to introduce staggered working hours or shifts at the essential departments.
NO BAN ON PUBLIC TRANSPORT, CTU SERVICES CURTAILED
The administration has decided to curtail the bus service within the tricity and that on long routes by around 40%. Directions have been issued to the crew not to overload the buses and in case any passenger is found to be symptomatic, the matter needs to be escalated immediately. As a precautionary measure, the health department has also been asked to start thermal screening of passengers at both ISBTs in Sectors 17 and 43.
NODAL OFFICERS APPOINTED FOR QUARANTINE FACILITIES
For contact tracing and issues related to home quarantine, Anil Garg, additional commissioner, MC, has been designated as the nodal officer. A police team has been provided to the official for enforcing quarantine. The contact list of the suspected cases will be provided by the director health services (DHS).
Uma Shankar Gupta, director transport, will be in-charge of quarantine facilities, to be created at Infosys Sarai, Parkview Hotel (on payment basis) and Panchayat Bhawan or any other facility to be created later.
Around five employees of each UT department will be trained as master trainers with the help of medial experts to be provided by the DHS. Rubinderjit Singh Brar, director of school education, UT, will be the overall in-charge for coordinating this training, and further training by master trainers to employees of respective departments.
