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Ghaziabad’s MMG hospital on alert as first Covid-19 patient admitted
The Coronavirus isolation ward, which has been set-up at the MMG district hospital, saw the entry of its first patient with Covid-19 on Thursday. The hospital officials
The Coronavirus isolation ward, which has been set-up at the MMG district hospital, saw the entry of its first patient with Covid-19 on Thursday. The hospital officials said they have directed the medical and non-medical staff to take all precautions while attending to the 27-year-old male patient, son of a 57-year-old Noida businessman who tested positive for the respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus. His mother tested negative for the virus and was asymptomatic even as she remained confined to her home.
The MMG hospital officials said they have 20 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits, which will be used by the staff nurses and doctors attending to the patient.
“All the staff nurses on duty will be wearing the PPE kit while on duty inside the isolation ward. Once they end their duty, they have been asked to get the kit disinfected and this kit will be immediately sent for disposal as biomedical waste. The staff outside the isolation ward has been asked to wear N-95 masks and to not come in contact with staff on duty inside the isolation ward,” hospital’s chief medical superintendent Dr Ravinder Rana said.
The isolation ward is on the first floor of the hospital building and people coming to the hospital have been asked to steer clear of the entire floor.
“The patient is also wearing an N-95 mask and is only allowed to consume bottled water and food provided by the hospital. No outside food, even from his house, is allowed. In addition to the toilets and premises of the isolation ward, the entire hospital is being disinfected every day. The patient has no symptoms at present but a physician is attending to him regularly. He will be given symptomatic treatment and administered paracetamol, antibiotics and multi-vitamins,” Dr Rana added.
As of now, there is no cure for Covid-19 and is being treated on the basis of symptoms exhibited.
The doctors attending the patient said that he was told about his test report late Wednesday night. “He has shown no signs of fear and is normal. He also knows about his father’s positive test report. He is cooperating and showing no symptoms at present,” said a doctor on duty at the isolation ward.
The isolation ward at MMG hospital has been especially reserved for Coronavirus patients and anyone who shows symptoms after coming in contact with infected persons is admitted here. The other isolation ward at Sanjay Nagar Combined district hospital has been reserved for Swine Flu patients.
LARGER ISOLATION WARDS PLANNED ACROSS STATE
According to state surveillance officer Dr Vikasendu Agarwal, the state health officials have been asked to speed setting up of quarantine facilities and strictly enforce steps to prevent the spread of virus. The directives were given auring a video-conference held Thursday evening.
“In UP, we have a total of 11 people, include two found positive in Ghaziabad, who have tested positive for novel coronavirus infection. We are now focusing on making bigger isolation centres. One unit is 80-bed facility at Meerut Medical College; officials have been asked to prepare a 100-bed facility in Noida at the new government hospital building. This is expected to come up within this week. There is also a proposal for making another bigger facility at the Haj House in Ghaziabad, but it will take time as the building had been locked for quite some time,” he said, adding that they have identified 1,093 quarantine beds across the state.
The Ministry of Defence on Thursday said a quarantine facility has been established at the Hindon air force station for the 58 pilgrims who were airlifted from Iran on March 10. They added that the facility has all required facilities for rest and recuperation.
“The administrative arrangements (identification of buildings, perimeter security, food and water supply, bed and linen, laundry, housekeeping, entertainment, sewage disposal, transportation etc) has been organised at the camp and the medical support (daily examination, lab testing, advise on disinfection and bio-medical waste management, public health measures, management of symptomatic patients, surveillance, creation and referral to isolation wards at nearest hospital) has been organised by Indian Air Force authorities in liaison with local civil administration,” the Ministry said in a statement.
The officials said that detailed protocols for patient transportation and referral to nearest designated isolation ward of service/civil hospitals are ready.
