Kerala: Health department tells all hospitals, govt and private, to focus on Covid care

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As part of strengthening its preparedness, the health department has asked government hospitals to focus more on Covid-19 care till May 31. These hospitals will cater only to emergency services in non-Covid cases while all taluk hospitals have been asked to keep at least five oxygen beds and bipap ventilators for oxygen support ready.
The state on Sunday logged 35,801 new cases, taking the caseload to 18,72,573 and the test positivity rate to 28.88%. Active cases stood at 4,23,514 while the toll mounted to 5,814, with 68 more deaths.
The new guidelines for hospitals, which said the state was experiencing the worst phase of the pandemic, have directed converting all fever clinics to Covid clinics. The Covid OPs should provide necessary consultation, lab services and medicines to patients.
The state was taking concerted efforts to contain the epidemic and provide efficient healthcare to patients. All primary and family healthcare centres should ensure the stock of steroids and oral anticoagulants, it said.
If bedridden patients are testing positive, oxygen concentrators should be arranged at their homes and home care provided. The department has also directed providing other treatment support through palliative care volunteers at the panchayat level, it said.
Counsellors with the district health administration should ensure that patients in home isolation are regularly contacted to assess their health status. The department has also asked private hospitals to increase the Covid oxygen and ICU beds to a minimum of 50% capacity. It has also directed them to start Covid OPs with necessary investigation and treatment facilities.
Healthcare personnel have been asked to use disposable gowns, gloves, N95 masks and face shields inside hospitals.