The Kerala government has revised its guidelines for treatment of COVID-19 patients as "the state is experiencing the worst phase of the pandemic". The revised guidelines are aimed at taking out immediate actions to strengthen patient care.
As per the new action plan, fever clinics in all hospitals will be converted into Covid clinics. Covid OPs will be set up to provide necessary consultation, lab services and medicines for patients.
All government hospitals have been instructed to focus on Covid cases management till May 31, according to the new guidelines issued by the health department on Sunday.
The other major guidelines are as follows:
Oxygen beds have to be arranged at taluk hospitals and at least five beds with BiPAP ventilators have to be arranged wherever possible to provide oxygen support to the referred patients.
Covid second line treatment centres have to be attached to each taluk hospital in the state.
Stock of steroids and oral anticoagulants have to be ensured at primary and family health centres.
If a bed-ridden patient turns Covid positive, oxygen concentrators may be arranged at home and home care could be provided as per advisory. Other treatments should be provided through palliative volunteers and rapid response teams at panchayat level.
Telemedicine units and counsellors of DMH programme should be informed about patients in home isolation and it should be ensured that they are called regularly to assess their health status.
Private hospitals should be motivated to increase Covid oxygen and ICU beds to minimum 50 er cent of the capacity. Private hospitals should also start Covid OPs.
