Doctors, nurses cannot return home every day: circular

27/03/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

In a bid to protect healthcare providers from coronavirus disease (COVID-19), all deans and heads of government medical institutions have been asked to identify a team of doctors, staff nurses and paramedical staff to work in isolation wards on rotation for four to seven days.

In a circular to deans of medical college hospitals and joint directors of health services, the State’s Emergency Operation Control Room of the Health and Family Welfare Department, has said that persons with symptoms of COVID-19 were admitted and taken care of in government medical institutions. Medical and paramedical staff in these institutions were exposed to infection.

The heads of institutions were instructed to strictly adhere to certain guidelines while posting doctors and paramedics at isolation wards. A team of doctors, staff nurses and paramedical staff should preferably be identified to work on the trot for four to seven days in isolation wards in rotation. They will not be allowed to return home every day as there was a possibility of them spreading infection. So necessary arrangements for providing accommodation in any hostel/quarters on the hospital premises should be done for them during their duty at isolation wards.

Strict disinfection protocols should be followed in the places of stay. After their turn is over, a fresh team should be posted, the circular said.