The Ministry of Health and Family welfare on 15th May 2020 has issued additional guidelines on the rational use of Personal Protective Equipment for health care workers and others working in Non-COVID hospitals and Non-COVID treatment areas of a hospital which has a COVID block.
The guidelines differentiated various areas in the hospital like in-patient ward and out-patient wards into low, moderate, mild and high-risk categories and the use of PPE depends on the risk profile of the area.
People working at the help desk, doctors’ chamber, pre-anesthetic check-up clinic, pharmacy counter, and involved in sanitation services, the recommended PPE ranges from a triple layer medical mask to latex examination gloves. While the individuals in the ICU need to wear an N95 mask, goggles, nitrile examination gloves, face shield, the PPE suggested for the ones present in the operation theatre is a triple layer medical mask, face shield, sterile latex gloves, and goggles.
All hospitals should identify a separate triage and holding area for patients with Influenza-like illness so that suspect COVID cases are triaged and managed away from the main out-patient department.
Further, medical professionals dealing with high-risk patients shall use the full complement of PPE.
Standard precaution must be followed at all times while using PPEs and PPEs shall not be considered an alternative to basic preventive public health measures such as hand hygiene, respiratory etiquettes which must be followed at all times.
Click here to read the Notification.
