GIMS issues advisory to private practitioners

Meenakshi Sinha | TNN | Updated: Apr 6, 2020, 11:40 IST

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GREATER NOIDA: The Government Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS) Greater Noida has issued an advisory for all private medical practitioners to continue telephonic or online consultations and open fever, cough OPDs to ensure adequate medical assistance is given to people.
Also, directives have been given to check patients from behind while ensuring safety gear and maximum 10-minute interval between patients at the clinics.
“We have issued an advisory for all private practitioners to help the needy people, society and the government in its fight with Covid-19. For this, we have asked them to keep consulting rooms open, so that needy people can take help and practice telemedicine. This has been permitted by the Medical Council of India (MCI) and the government. Also, we have asked them to plan separate cough and fever OPDs and examine the patient with his face turned away, preferably from behind. This is to ensure safety from the virus contamination for both, the health official as well as the patient,” said Brigadier (retd) Dr RK Gupta, director GIMS.
Dr Gupta adds that after each examination, the private practitioner should sanitise their hands and diaphragm of the stethoscope, should avoid touching currency notes given by patients instead, keep a box on the counter and ask patients to drop the notes into the box with separate arrangement for returning the change. “The currency should ideally be counted after three days. These basic, little precautions which will go a long way in helping curb the spread of the virus,” said Dr Gupta.
Other advisories issued by GIMS include mandatory use of masks for all patients. “No patient or relative should enter the clinic/hospital premises without wearing a mask/ handkerchief and sanitizing hands, issue e-prescription as much as possible and if this facility is not available, to issue OPD slips in the hands of patient or relative after they have written the prescription and ensure proper social distancing in the clinic with only 5-6 chairs at a designated two-metre distance,” he added.
While only one attendant should be allowed with the patient, the examination room should only have a stool and no chairs to avoid surface contaminations. The director also asked the doctors to limit their OPD timing by keeping it short and regulate patient inflow by giving appointments on phone keeping 10 minutes gap between patients. “The receptionist must tell patients and their attendants to not touch the registration counter, furniture and wall of the clinic during OPD visits,” the doctor said who advised the doctors to always wear triple-layer surgical mask or N-95, full sleeves apron and gloves while inspecting a patient. “The mask and clinic dress should be removed after duty without touching the face and avoid using the toilet or drinking water during this time,” he added.
He further suggested that the clinics should display education posters regarding ‘social distancing, cough etiquettes and hand hygiene’ in front of their clinics or hospital in local language and patients should be advised to have lots of water, preferably hot water, hot water bath, frequent hand wash. “Suspected cases should be referred to respective Government hospitals or be informed to the district health authorities/CMO along with intimation on the toll-free control room number 18004192211.
Lastly, all doctors should maintain due to record with all necessary details of the patients including his health, family and travel history.
Dr Ajay Aggarwal who runs a private clinic in Sector 62 is already following most of the above. “All precautions are being taken even as we give WhatsApp and SMS consultations,” he said.