Not everyone can be allowed to set up Covid Care Center: DC Girish Dayalan

Not everyone can be allowed to set up Covid Care Center: DC Girish Dayalan

Nabaz-e-Punjab Bureau, Mohali, May 11:
The Department of Health and Family Welfare Punjab has laid down the Standard Operating Procedure for setting up a Covid Care Facility; any deviation from protocol can be catastrophic, said Girish Dayalan.
He divulged that many philanthropists, smaller hospitals, RWAs, religious institutions and NGOs have offered assistance in combating the COVID menace by setting up L1 and L2 COVID Care Centres but everyone cannot be permitted to do so since establishing a COVID Care Facility is subject to certain mandatory requirements. In fact meeting all requirements by an individual/non-health care institution is quite challenging. Divulging further, he informed that adequate manpower including teams of doctors/ paramedics 24*7, medicine, food supply, basic infrastructure like beds, fans, washrooms, separate enclosures for symptomatic/ asymptomatic or male/female patients, 24*7 electricity/water, ambulance, facility for premises sterilization/ disinfection and waste management, forward linkage to at least two higher facilities L2 or L3 as the case may be, is a must. Besides, donning/doffing area, oxygen supply, ventilation, control room, basic training, Emergency Bay are but a few basic minimum requirements for setting up L1/L2 COVID Care Facilities, failing which permission to set up a COVID Care Facility cannot be granted.
Meeting all pre-requisites single-handed is difficult; wavering from laid down norms/guidelines can prove to be potentially detrimental to health care delivery system and can lead to spread of COVID faster than existing pace. It is therefore suggested that likeminded people/organizations may pool resources and run a COVID Care Facility as a joint venture, said DC and added that inspection and certification from the team of officials of District Administration/Health Department is however, a must.