AIIMS curbs OPD services, spike in Covid cases in Bihar

The restrictions on the number of new patients in the outdoor patient department (OPD) will come into effect from January 7, said Dr CM Singh, medical superintendent of AIIMS-Patna who issued the order late on Tuesday evening.

The All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has restricted the number of new patients for outdoor consultation to 50 per department given the sharp rise in Covid-19 cases, as the state reported 893 new infections, more than double the cases reported a day before, taking the number of active cases to 2222, said officials.

At a vaccination centre in Patna on Tuesday. (Santosh Kumar/HT Photo)

The restrictions on the number of new patients in the outdoor patient department (OPD) will come into effect from January 7, said Dr CM Singh, medical superintendent of AIIMS-Patna who issued the order late on Tuesday evening.

The institute also put in place a system of taking prior telephonic appointments for OPD consultation.

“Prior appointment for OPD consultation will be mandatory for patients and can be taken telephonically on 9470702235, 9430008936, 9430008970, 9470702184 and 0612-2451070 between 8am and 4pm on working days,” said Dr Singh.

Old patients can, however, visit the department concerned directly, he added.

“We shall also extend consultation through telemedicine. The number for teleconsultation is 0612-2451923 and our Skype ID is aiimspatnatelemedicine,” added Dr Singh.

As many as 17 doctors and three healthcare workers at the AIIMS have already tested positive for Covid-19, said Dr Sanjeev Kumar, nodal officer for Covid-19 at AIIMS, Patna.

“As many as 11 doctors and three healthcare workers tested positive today. Six doctors had tested positive a couple of days before that. The doctors include three faculty members in the rank of assistant professors while the remaining are resident doctors,” added Dr Kumar.

Around 170 doctors and medical students are believed to have tested positive for SARS CoV-2 at the Nalanda Medical College Hospital while 20 have been infected at the Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, both in Patna.

The state health department and the IGIMS have cancelled leaves of all health officials, including doctors and healthcare workers, till February 28.