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…but Health Dept’s laundry list of requirements could put off even the most well-intentioned citizens
BENGALURU:
Clearly overwhelmed by the surge in coronavirus infections in the state, and particularly in Bengaluru, the state government has gladly accepted the offer of Resident Welfare Associations to run Covid Care Centres in their own apartment premises. But the elaborate list of do’s and don’ts could make even the most well-meaning RWAs think twice about taking on an onerous task which should have remained the responsibility of the state government and the BBMP.
In a preamble to a veritable litany of guidelines for ‘willing’ RWAs issued on July 10, the Health and Family Welfare Commissioner has referred to the government’s own Covid Care Centres at venues like BIEC on Tumkur Road, Haj Bhavan and the Sri Sri Ravishankar Ashram. The notification goes on to refer to RWAs/Apartment Owners Associations ‘coming forward’ to facilitate home isolation and management of ‘mild and asymptomatic’ Covid-positive persons in their premises, and adds that the government has ‘decided to involve’ these organisations in managing Covid Care Centres.
The ‘laundry list’ of requirements is as follows:
Read: https://thebengalurulive.com/up/Guidelines%20on%20RWA.pdf
- Facilities needed: a) Vacant houses, community halls and flats within the apartment(s)/community. b) Separate accommodation for women and children.
c) Individual occupancy in a room of 10 x10 feet, preferably with attached bathroom and toilet.
d) In the absence of individual rooms, 4 to 6 Covid-positive persons shall be accommodated in a hall having attached bath and toilet/s.
e) Temporary partitions of either PVC or side screen shall be provided for individual privacy, keeping a physical distance of minimum of six feet between the two beds.
f) Beds, mattresses, furnishings and linens, uninterrupted water and power supply shall be available.
g) Homemade food, either from the patient’s house or from a common kitchen, shall be arranged.
h) Ancillary services like garbage management, sanitation and logistics should be managed exclusively and separately for the Covid block. Biomedical waste shall be treated with 1% hypochlorite solution for a contact period of one hour before final disposal.
i) If citizens of a group of individual houses in a street or neighbourhood are willing and have an independent unoccupied house or community hall, they are encouraged to run CCC facilities akin to RWAs.
- Eligibility:
All asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic cases except the following:
a) > 60 years of age.
b) With comorbid conditions like hypertension, diabetes, severe obesity, thyroid disease, cancer, kidney diseases, heart diseases, stroke, tuberculosis, HIV.
c) Pregnant women and lactating mothers.
d) Children below 10 years of age.
e) Any other serious medical/psychological condition.
- Medical care:
a) Access to public shall be restricted.
b) The RWA/AOA/company should have a tie-up with a medical team (or with a doctor residing in the premises) for triaging and regular clinical support of patients.
c) Nursing staff will take temperature and pulse oximetry readings thrice a day, and shall tele-consult with the doctor for instructions.
d) Linkage with an affiliated private hospital, dedicated Covid-19 health centre or hospital for referring the Covid-positive person in case of need.
e) Adequate supplies of PPE kits, N-95 masks, triple-layered surgical masks, gloves, hand sanitizers, thermal scanners, pulse oximeters, glucometers, BP apparatus, stethoscopes, medicines like hydroxychloroquine, vitamin C, zinc, etc., shall be available.
f) In case of an emergency, ambulance services shall be obtained from government ambulance service 108/private ambulance.
g) The Covid-positive person shall be under the care of the RWAs; attending doctor and staff nurses will all be under the supervision of the jurisdictional MOH/DHO/HO of BBMP or THO/DH & FWO of the department.
h) Data entry: The nursing officer shall maintain patient charts and records (for requisite parameters), and the doctor shall officially verify the record data and advise.
- Required amenities:
a) Support staff for food/supervision will be present 24/7, in two or three shifts designated only for the care of patients in the ratio of 1:12 per Covid-positive person.
b) Designated security personnel shall supervise the CCC.
c) 24/7 electricity with power back-up and water supply.
d) Monitoring facility using CCTV camera installed (optional).
e) Facility for disinfection and sterilization of linen and utensils of Covid-positive persons.
f) Availability of broadband Internet connectivity with computers and DEOs for providing the Covid patients’ data.
- Daily monitoring by medical team:
a) Thrice daily temperature and Sp02 recording using fingertip pulse oximeter.
b) 24/7 monitoring by medical officer.
c) Attending to medical and other complaints.
- Food and nutrition:
a) Nutritious diet should be provided to the patients using the suggested diet plan as per government advice, but catering to the patient’s individual tastes, allergies and dietary requirements. Food will be delivered from the concerned patient’s home to the Centre for the staff to give to the patients. Disposable plates and cutlery shall be used.
b) Proper food arrangements three times a day along with snacks for the patients and the nursing staff.
c) Breakfast, lunch and dinner to be provided at appropriate times convenient to the patient by the patient’s family.
d) Consumption of tobacco and alcoholic drinks is strictly prohibited.
- Ancillary services:
a) Dedicated area of donning and doffing of PPE for healthcare workers.
b) Garbage management inside and outside the Covid Care Centre.
c) To ensure that the biomedical waste generated in the CCC is sent to the designated bio-medical processing centre.
d) To ensure complete cleanliness inside and outside the CCC.
- Testing:
Covid-19 testing for the patients should be done as per the testing guidelines issued by the state government from time to time. Any other test required as per the doctor’s assessment should be made available from the nearest health facility.
- Daily reporting:
The CCC will ensure daily reporting of the admissions, release from isolation and medical condition of patients in the software recommended by the state government/report to district surveillance officer (DSO)
- Others:
The RWAs/AoAs shall enter details of CCC’s capacity, admission/release of persons in state government software application without fail. The CCC facility will be used by the local RWA/AoA residents only. The Covid-positive persons shall be allowed to use their laptop, mobile, tablet, books and other reading materials.
- Discharge/Release from isolation:
To be followed as per state government guidelines issued from time to time, in consultation with the treating doctor.
- Information, Education, Communication (IEC):
Display charts about Covid-19 do’s and don’ts shall be prominently exhibited inside the rooms, halls and outside the premises to educate the patients and the residents. Wall- mounted TV services may also be provided only with the silent display of news regarding Covid.
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