Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore has developed protocols for the care of COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients on its main campus.

According to a press release, the main campus has been zoned out to take care of non-COVID patients, and those with surgical needs. There is no mixing of patients or healthcare workers between COVID and non-COVID zones in the in-patient and outpatient settings.

The hospital has a separate entry in ‘M’ block for outpatients coming from hotspots to be screened and treated, while symptomatic patients are screened in the fever clinic or designated area of emergency services.

There is a separate zone for COVID-19 positive pregnant women to undergo delivery in a block away from the regular labour room. The operation theatres and intensive care units have been organised separately in different blocks for COVID and non-COVID patients.

While the hospital has made it mandatory for all healthcare workers to use appropriate Personal Protective Equipment, all patients and relatives are expected to wear masks, get screened on entry and need to wash hands or use sanitisers. All healthcare workers who develop the slightest of symptoms are screened and tested.

COVID centre

CMC has set up a round-the-clock internal COVID command centre. In this, one team is involved in informing patients who have tested positive in the previous 12 hours, triage and advice hospitalisation in the government or private set-up. There is a plan to ensure a bed within four hours, subject to bed availability, for those who want to be admitted to CMC.

A second team is involved in contact tracing, while another team is in charge of data management and reports submitted daily to government authorities. A clinical treatment team evaluates all possible treatment protocols and updates on best treatment for patients with different severity of illness based on published evidence. It is making this information available to interested hospitals and healthcare facilities in the country, the release said.