The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare on 18th June 2020 has issued a revised advisory for managing health care workers working in COVID and Non-COVID areas of the hospitals which provides guidance on preventive measures, isolation and quarantine of health care functionaries.
Key Highlights from the advisory are as follows:
- Hospitals shall activate their Hospital Infection Control Committee (HICC). The HICC in the health facility is responsible for implementing the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) activities and for organizing regular training on IPC for HCWs.
- An Infection Control Officer cum Nodal Officer will be identified by each hospital to address all matters related to Healthcare-Associated Infections to prevent and manage the Covid-19 infection among the health care workers.
- All healthcare workers managing COVID-19 cases are being provided with chemo-prophylaxis under medical supervision and the workers have been asked to use appropriate PPE during their duties and any breach in PPE and exposure shall immediately be brought into the notice of the Nodal Officer of the Department.
- It is advised that all the health care workers must report every exposure to COVID-19 to the concerned nodal officer of the Department immediately.
- For doctors, nursing officers, and other health workers with high-risk exposure, the quarantine period shall be initially one week. Thereafter taking the profile of such doctors, nursing officers and other health workers, a decision shall be taken by the Nodal Officer/Head of the Department (or his appointed Sub-committee) for a further period of one week.
Click here to read the notification.
