The Health Ministry on 3rd June 2020 has issued guidelines for safe ENT practice amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
The guidelines are aimed at minimizing the spread of Covid-19 infection among ENT doctors, nursing staff, support staff, patients, and their attendants.
As per the guidelines, all patients entering the ENT OPD shall be thermally screened. The objective of screening is to minimize exposure to staff and patients and only one patient at a time shall be allowed in examination room.
Distancing of at least 2 meters in between patients beds shall be mandatory and Ward should be demarcated into separate areas for patients with a high aerosol-generating potential (e.g. Tracheotomised patients) and for ENT patients.
At the entry point of OPD, it has been suggested to regulate the entry of patients and to ensure use of masks, hand hygiene, and social distancing. It also advised that teleconsultation will be preferable and prior teleconsultation can be done to identify patients requiring physical examination in the clinic.
Further, every COVID suspect patients shall be treated in the separate ward for Covid-19 patients and they shall be shifted to ENT ward only after confirmation of COVID negative status.
Click here to read the Notification.
