Tirupati: Private hospitals insist on masks, prior appointments

• Appointments with doctors for out-patients will reduce waiting time, ensure social distancing

• Doctors are attending only emergency cases and surgeries as of now

• Doctors say use of disposable material while performing precautionary tests against Covid will raise the cost of procedures by 10-20% 

Tirupati: 'No mask-No treatment' has become the policy for hospitals now as they open their out-patient and other sections after two months of closure. The post-lockdown stage has been witnessing several qualitative changes as far as the standard operating procedures (SOP) are concerned and hospitals and nursing homes are no exception.

Apart from masks, prior appointment with doctors is being insisted upon avoiding walk-in patients as part of reducing the crowd and maintain social distancing. Unlike before, only one attendant is being allowed with the patient. Taking prior appointments is something new for patients and even for doctors of several hospitals.

Some hospitals hitherto had not allowed phone appointments insisting the patients come directly to take the token and wait for their turn.

In the changing scenario, patients need to contact the hospitals by phone and take advice on whether they need to visit the hospital or simply continue the old medicines. With this, the number of OPs in several hospitals have drastically came down and various surgical procedures also confined to emergencies.

Speaking to The Hans India, senior vice-chairperson of Association of Physicians of India, AP Chapter, Dr P Krishna Prasanthi said that unless certain precautions are taken both by patients and hospitals, hospitals face risk of becoming corona hotspots.

"We need to take steps to prevent more number of patients at a time which will also help reduce their waiting time. With our safety, we need to take care of the patients safety also. No patient is allowed to wait unnecessarily in hospital lounges," she said.

Of course, the use of various disposable material while performing tests will increase the cost of procedures by 10-20 per cent, which is inevitable. Private hospitals are also allowed to collect swabs from pregnant women five days before their expected date of delivery and certain other patients who are suspected to have symptoms, she added.

IMA Tirupati chapter president Dr P Ravi Raju said that water and soap has to be made available at every hospital and no one is allowed without mask. "As of now, only emergency patients are allowed to visit the hospitals, that too in limited numbers. Awareness is being created on the changing guidelines by WHO (World Health Organisation) and ICMR (Indian Council for Medical Research) to all the doctors from time to time through meetings and Zoom conferences," he said.Appointments with doctors for out-patients will reduce waiting time, ensure social distancing