The three-member multidisciplinary Central team, which reviewed measures taken for management and control of novel Coronavirus (nCoV) at Fever Hospital here on Tuesday, gave a few suggestions on how to handle personal protection equipment (PPE), disinfecting vehicles which carry samples collected from suspected cases and other details.
They visited the Isolation Ward and Virology lab at Sir Ronald Ross Institute for Tropical and Communicable Diseases, also known an Fever Hospital, where they asked the staff how they use and dispose masks, and other aspects.
The team consisted of Dr Anitha Varma, Epidemiologist, Prof. Ajay Chauhan, Respiratory Medicine, and Dr Shubha Garg, a Microbiologist from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). Senior Regional Director, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Anuradha Medoju and superintendent of Fever Hospital Dr K Shankar accompanied them during the review.
Prior to their visit, they held meetings with Special Chief Secretary of Telangana Health and Family Welfare department A Santhi Kumari, Director of Medical Education Dr K Ramesh Reddy and other officials.
Dr Shankar said the Central team gave some suggestions which will be taken to the notice of higher officials. He said that, apart from 40 beds in Isolation Ward at the hospital, there were 40 more beds in the Isolation Ward of Gandhi Hospital, and 20 more at the Government General and Chest Hospital.
“If anyone suspects to have nCoV symptoms, or if someone with travel history to China wants to get admitted fearing they contracted the virus, they will be admitted at the Fever Hospital’s Isolation Ward. If the in-patients develop any respiratory problems, they will be taken to Gandhi Hospital where ventilator support will be provided as there are no ventilators at Fever Hospital, ” officials said
Dr Medoju said that they are currently screening passengers from Hong Kong at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA), Shamshabad. If passengers coming in more flights were to be screened, they might need more work force, including doctors, she said.
The Central Team is scheduled to review measures taken at the RGIA. It will visit Gandhi Hospital also.
