COVID PATIENTS CAN NOW HAVE HELPERS IN HOSPS

Covid-19 patients may soon be able to have an attendant with them in the hospital while undergoing treatment at.

Such a ‘willing attendant of the patient’ can be cleared to remain in an ‘area earmarked by the hospital’, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said in a letter to Chief Secretaries of all state governments.

Union Secretary at the ministry, Preeti Sudan, in her letter dated July

26, also said all Coviddesignated hospitals should create a helpdesk “accessible physically as well as by telephone” from where the wellbeing of patients admitted in the hospitals can be enquired.

Following the receipt of the letter, the Telangana health department on Wednesday issued a note to the Director of Health Services, Commissioner Family Health, and Director of Medical Education to implement the instructions from the Centre.

In addition to facilitating presence of attendants and provision of patient-related information, the Centre also directed the states that all Covid-19 hospitals should install CCTV cameras to facilitate patient management and “for screening of footage by designated authorities or bodies” when remedial action is required. CCTV cameras should also be installed in areas handling the bodies of Covid-19 patients, who have succumbed to the pandemic.

Further, the states have also been instructed to set up a team of doctors and other experts for inspecting hospitals treating Covid-19 patients, supervision, and guidance. The team will make its recommendations to the state governments. The respective Chief Secretaries have been told to set these committees in a week.

The Centre said the directions follow a Supreme Court order dated June 19 in a case on proper treatment of

Covid-19 patients and a dignified handling of dead bodies, among other issues.