Curb Covid infections in hospitals and train doctors, Bihar told

PATNA: The three-member central team, which visited Bihar on Sunday and Monday, has suggested the state government to frame the hospital infection control policy and enhance training of doctors and healthcare workers and testing for Covid-19.
They also took strong exception to the people moving in the Covid wards of NMCH and claimed that such people could act as ‘super-spreader’.
“Healthcare infrastructure in Bihar has not been up to the mark, but the state government could have at least utilized last four months to enhance the same to meet at least the basic standards. Also, it is essential to provide more training to doctors and paramedical staff involved in Covid treatment as nobody has been trained to handle this pandemic,” a source associated with the team, wishing anonymity, said.
“People, including attendants, could be seen wandering in and out of the hospital. This doesn’t happen in a Covid hospital. There should be a thorough hospital infection control policy to curb spread of such viruses,” he quoted from the observations made by the central team.
The source further said all government medical college and hospitals should be made ready for tackling Covid cases.
Demand-based testing in all govt hospitals: On-demand antigen testing has started in all sub-divisional hospitals. “A decision to this effect was taken in the meeting of state’s crisis management group chaired by chief secretary Deepak Kumar on Tuesday,” IPRD secretary Anupam Kumar said on Tuesday. He said the health department has been given the target to commence on-demand antigen testing in all primary healthcare centres by the end of this week. “Steps are being taken to enhance the healthcare system in the state to combat Covid-19. Private sector is also being involved in it. Besides, instructions have been issued to health department to conduct fresh training of doctors and paramedical staff as per Covid-19 treatment protocol,” Anupam said.
Health secretary Lokesh Kumar Singh said besides NMCH, JLNMCH at Bhagalpur and ANMMCH, Gaya, dedicated for Covid patients, steps have been taken for treatment of corona patients at six other government medical college and hospitals. “One block has been identified and 100-bed facility with oxygen support has been created in each of these government hospitals,” he said, adding each hospital has been connected with different districts for receiving referral patients.