NE NEWS SERVICE
AHMEDABAD, MARCH 19
Responding to global alert on Covid-19 prevention, the Institute for Kidney Diseases & Research Centre (IKDRC) has decided to implement ‘Common Consensus Guidelines for Infection Prevention and Control’ at its Civil Hospital, Asarwa premises in Ahmedabad from Thursday, an institute release said.
As per the guidelines, the premier institute, primarily dealing with liver and kidney transplants, decided to postpone elective and non-life saving surgeries to prevent any possible Covid-19 infection till further orders.
In a statement released by the IKDRC management, the institute has decided to implement preventive screening to firewall possible Covid-19 infection among its patients and medical staff. To safeguard OPD patients visiting its premises, IKDRC will screen every patient and persons accompanying them before allowing limited entry. Symptomatic patients showing signs of fever, cough, sore throat and breathlessness will be subsequently referred to Civil Hospital.
IKDRC has also decided to postpone all elective and non-life saving surgeries in cases that have shown signs of severe upper respiratory ailments for the next 28 days. The institute has also informed all OPD patients to avoid travel, unless due to emergency, and issued instructions to help relatives to collect medicines on behalf of patients.
“Covid-19 has created a pandemic like situation worldwide and prevention is the best solution we have to contain its spread. We have invoked this protocol to nullify possible infection at the first stage itself. The preventive guidelines will remain in force until further orders,” said Dr Vineet Mishra, Director, IKRDC-ITS.
However, living donor transplants will be done in consultation with the patient, donor and medical/surgical team strictly on a case to case basis after ensuring zero possibility of Covid-19 infection. Also, in the case of cadaveric transplants, Covid-19 testing would be conducted before organ harvesting and exception in certain cases would be allowed after a thorough examination.
IKDRC has also gone for strict segregation of medical and paramedical staff attending to symptomatic patient recommended for dialysis in the isolation area. The second floor of the IKDRC premises has been converted into a six-bed isolation ICU for symptomatic patients who compulsorily need dialysis. Routine appointments are given for blood and radiological investigations also stand cancelled due to implementation of preventive guidelines, the statement said.
The guidelines implemented from Thursday also directed surface cleaning of in-patient wards with one percent sodium hypochlorite and the use of 70 percent alcohol-based solutions as cleaning agents for metal surfaces. The management has also decided to withdraw blankets used by patients from all its wards for autoclaving before putting them for the next use.
