Coimbatore: The Indian Medical Association today appreciated the “dynamic way” in which the Govt. of Tami Nadu is handling the situation of this dreadful pandemic under the “able leadership” of the CM Edapadi Palaniswamy.
Coimbatore: The Indian Medical Association today appreciated the “dynamic way” in which the Govt. of Tami Nadu is handling the situation of this dreadful pandemic under the “able leadership” of the CM Edapadi Palaniswamy.
Further they appreciated the cooperation rendered by the public and the media for the effective dissemination of COVID-19 prevention awareness. They also shared that the Tamil Nadu Govt. has considered a three tier system of tackling COVID -19 in designated set ups at all levels (Primary, Secondary and Tertiary). The Govt. has permitted the operation of IMA Designated Community level Fever and Respiratory Clinics (IMA DF & RC).
Today, the first IMA Designated Community level Fever and Respiratory Clinic (DF&RC) was established in Coimbatore at Vadavalli near Mowthi Nursing Home with the approval of DMS/JDHS on April 16 supported by Aalayam Welfare Trust, Rotary Club of Coimbatore Vadavalli, R& KME Foundation.
P.R.G.Arun Kumar, MLA Coimbatore North along with Er.R. Chandrasekar, Director, Aalayam Welfare Trust inaugurated the IMA DF&RC in the presence of Dr.A.K.Ravi Kumar, State Secretary, IMA Tamil Nadu, Rotary club of Vadavalli, Manickavasagam, Rajan and other Dignitaries and Social workers.
Following are the norms and advantages of Designated Community level Fever and Respiratory Clinic”
Advantages of DF & RC:
Diverting all the Symptomatic COVID 19 patients who come for primary care to DF&RC will help
(a) Community spread from each and every primary care clinic they visit can be prevented
(b) Spread of infection to all the Health Care Professionals in Primary care can be prevented.
(c) En mass exposure of all the Health Care Professionals in an area will make them to go for quarantine at the same time which will lead to collapse of entire health care system and subsequently will increase the case load to Secondary and Tertiary COVID Centers
(d) All the Primary Care Clinics can extend their services to their patients other than Fever and Respiratory problems.
The reasons for selecting the Location
1. Well Ventilated and Spacious areas with Enough Parking area to be selected.( preferably their IMA buildings , Big Halls, Marriage Halls, or if smaller hospitals prefer to designate theirs
2. Water Facility for Wash Area
3. Separate Registration area / Doctors chamber with enough distancing barricade between Staff / Doctor and patient
4. Separate Waiting area for proper distancing between patients.
Norms for Washing Area:
1. Water/ Soap/ preferably Elbow tap for hand wash (ALL THE PATIENTS WHO ARE COMING TO THE FEVER CLINIC SHOULD WASH THEIR HAND AND FEET WITH SOAP AND WATER.)
2. Tissues to wipe.
3. Posters on Hand Wash Techniques
Norms for Registration Area:
1. No attenders if the patient is stable
2. 3 PLY MASK to BE PROVIDED AS SOON AS THE PATIENT ENTERS THE REGISTRATION ROOM
3. DETAILS OF THE PATIENT to BE COLLECTED AS PER THE FORM 1
4. PHYSICAL DISTANCING SHOULD BE MAINTAINED 4 FEET FROM PATIENT TO PATIENT AND PATIENT TO staff preferably a barricade.
5. SANITIZE the hand of EACH PATIENT
6. VITALS - TEMPERATURE BY THERMO SCANNER, PR: | ,SPO2: %, by pulse oximeter, RR: immediately after cleaning the hand with hand sanitizer.
7. Do not hand over the Form to Patient.
Norms for Waiting Area
1. STOOL WITHOUT ARMS
2. 3 to 4 FEET DISTANCE FOR EACH PATIENTS
3. NOT MORE THAN 10 PATIENTS IN A WELL VENTILATED ROOM AT A TIME
Norms for Doctors Chamber
1. NON TOUCH TECHNIQUE
2. 4 FEET DISTANCE FROM PATIENT TO DOCTOR
3. STOOL WITHOUT ARM CHAIR for THE PATIENT
4. NO ATTENDERS IF PATIENT IS STABLE
5. ONE ATTENDER WILL BE ALLOWED IF PATIENT IS SICK, with mask
6. STOOLS SHOULD BE CLEANED AS SOON AS PATIENT GETS UP.
7. Categorization of THE PATIENTS ACCORDING TO THE CLINICAL PRESENTATION
Category A patients are those with only respiratory symptoms, no co morbidities and no signs of respiratory illness.
Category B patients are those with respiratory symptoms with co morbidities, without any respiratory distress and PR<100/min, SPO2>94%, BP>90/60 and RR<24.
Category C patients are those with respiratory symptoms with respiratory distress, with or without co morbidities, PR>100/Min, SPO2<94%, BP<90/60 and RR>24
8. Notify THE PATIENT TO THE HEALTH AUTHORITIES if warranted AS PER THE GOVERNMENT PROTOCOL.(Annexure —Notification/ Referral protocol)
9. Consultation Free of Cost.
Details to be notified to www.dphpm.com( ID and Password can be obtained from Central control room or DDHS) and DDHS(see annexure for DDHS contact details)
2. Use 108 Ambulance or Designated Ambulance if the center has to shift the patient to the testing Centre / Admission.
As we can see with the norms shared by the association, this clinic would be a boon in terms of pandemic fevers like COVID-19, as these norms will help in effectively diagnosing the patients.