CHANDIGARH: After assessment of Level-II facilities, the Punjab government has come up with fresh advisory for further streamlining monitoring and management of Covid-19 patients.
The guidelines have been framed on recommendation of an expert committee which was entrusted with responsibility of evaluating Level-II health centres. There are 7,911 Level-II beds having intensive care units, ventilators, and beds with oxygen support in Punjab, of which 5,238 are in government set-up across the state.
On arrival of the patient in a Level-II facility, the doctors on duty will categories the patient whether to be put in Level-II or -III facility and the details are to be displayed at each nursing station. If the patient is to be referred to Level-III facility on recommendation of the consulting doctor on duty, a detailed referral form giving a brief about the patient’s condition is to be shared with the doctor on duty where the patient is being referred.
The referring health centre will take regular feedback of the referred patient from the doctor concerned. The medical staff on duty have to daily record vitals and Covid-19 specific investigations such as respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, pulse, blood pressure, urine output, sensorium, and temperature of all the patients. As the co-morbidities are high, a suitable diet as per the clinical conditions of patients is to be provided to them.
Punjab health department spokesperson for Covid-19 Dr Rajesh Bhaskar said uniform advisory had been framed after much deliberation with the experts. He said instructions had been issued to deputy commissioners and civil surgeons to ensure mandatory compliance of these guidelines in health facilities in their respective districts.
After deluge for months, Punjab has recorded a steady fall in fresh cases and deaths. In December, 13,813 cases surfaced, while 520 people succumbed to the virus, lowest since July.
The virus has infected 1,67,012 people and claimed 5,364 lives till January 2. If the projections made by experts are to be believed, the slow growth will continue, and the state will add 3,448 new cases in the next 28 days. During the same period, the number of Covid deaths will come down to 229. As per the projections, the state will have only 186 active cases by January 31.
Even as there has been a drop in the number of deaths, the fatality rate continues to be highest in the country. Punjab’s case fatality rate stands at 3.21%.