Medical College Hospital has set up a zero-delay triage ward to ensure that COVID-19 patients who are rushed to the hospital do not face any delay in getting treatment. A 300-bed facility set up for this purpose is equipped with oxygen concentrators.
While in the first wave of COVID-19 the hospital had allotted 600 beds to treat the viral infection, there are 1,000 beds this time around. The 300-bedded zero-delay triage facility, which was inaugurated a few days ago, would function in addition to that.
The Thanjavur Medical College examination hall was converted into the zero-delay ward, with 300 beds, oxygen supply and other necessities arranged within a week on a war-footing, said S. Maruthudurai, Medical Superintendent.
The zero-delay triage ward would help patients who require oxygen support but cannot access it due to lack of beds in hospitals in the district. A special team of doctors has been deputed to the ward.
Explaining the work-flow, Dr. Maruthudurai said that a team of doctors would be on standby when an ambulance enters the hospital. Depending upon the patient's condition, they would either rush them to the zero-delay ward where their vitals would be checked, or assess the vitals in the ambulance itself, before taking the patient to the ward. “At the ward, the patient would be administered oxygen at up to 10 litres per minute, and doctors would monitor them till a vacancy opens up at the COVID-19 ward,” he said.
Two ambulances and one battery car have been deployed for the purpose of transporting patients from the zero-delay ward to the COVID-19 wards.