Post lockdown, hospitals face risk of becoming corona hot-spot

As a practising Primary Care Physician in Tirupati for past 20 years, I think the basic human psychology to a newer disease initially is a fear and later there comes a gradual acceptance of that disease. That has come true in our country for SARS COV-2 infection. Lockdown is not the permanent solution for preventing SARS COV- 2 infections.

It allowed only to flatten the curve of new cases and has given opportunity for developing infrastructure in diagnostic and treatment strategies. Indigenous manufacturing of personal Protective equipment, Rapid Diagnostic kits, medicines, ventilators and trials for vaccines should be the focus and there by reveal the efficiency of our science & technology departments in various institutions.

The reopening of health care establishments in public and private sector post lockdown will witness a sudden spurt of patients in hospitals. Due to this there is a high chance of hospitals becoming corona hot spots. Hence traditional way of 'seeing out patients in clinics' should not be encouraged. Walk in patients needs to be restricted and prior appointment should be made mandatory. All disinfection and preventive measures from entry to exit needs to be followed strictly by the entire supporting staff of hospital and the patients alike.

OPs should be shifted from Air Conditioned rooms to open space. Triage area should be created separately with questionnaire of suspected symptoms of corona virus infection. Many of the patients or attendants could be asymptomatic carriers and hence it is a dictum to be followed that "EVERY PATIENTS WHO IS ENTERNIG INTO YOUR HOSPITAL COULD BE POTENTIALLY POSITIVE FOR COVID 19 IN FUTURE." Particularly ill patients admitted in intensive care units in all private Hospitals to be evaluated with RTPCR tests as atypical manifestations are common in this corona virus infections. Government should provide standard quality of personal protection equipments to the private doctors for reasonable affordable prices and all private doctors should learn Donning & Doffing in techniques of PPES.

Dr P Krishna Prasanthi, M D (Gen); FICP; FRSSDI

Senior consultant physician, Vice chairperson Association of Physicians of India, Andhra Pradesh