Haryana Health Department has issued new guidelines for home isolation care of COVID-19 patients: In order to strengthen the home isolation care of COVID-19 patients across the state, the Haryana Health Department has issued new guidelines, wherein emphasis has been laid on in-person visits by ‘District Home Isolation Monitoring Team’ on every alternate day.
The information was revealed during a meeting of the Additional Chief Secretary, Health Department, Mr. Rajeev Arora, Chief Executive Officer, Ayushman Bharat Haryana Health Protection Authority, Mr. Ashok Kumar Meena and Special Secretary, Health Department and Mission Director, National Health Mission, Haryana, Mr. Prabhjot Singh with the Civil Surgeons of the 22 districts of the state through videoconferencing.
Laying emphasis on the significance of improvement of home isolation of COVID-19 patients, Mr. Rajeev Arora said that around 60 to 70 per cent of the corona infected persons are in home isolation thus we need to augment the home isolation policy so that the patients are provided appropriate care and treatment.
He said that the asymptomatic and symptomatic patients, who are in home isolation, usually are unable to follow the guidelines like staying in separate room, a separate toilet, a care giver to look after the needs of the patient. Subsequently, the ‘District Home Isolation Monitoring Team’ will visit the patient on alternate days to monitor if the guidelines are being followed.
Sharing the details of the new policy issued, Chief Executive Officer, Ayushman Bharat Haryana Health Protection Authority, Mr. Ashok Kumar Meena said that the concerned teams can check the number of patients on home isolation from the ICMR portal and make visits on alternate days.
A flex banner mentioning ‘District Home Isolation Monitoring Team’ along with the name of the district to be displayed on the vehicle of each field team. Each field team will consist of one AMO, one ANM and one ASHA worker. He added that the teams will also check if separate washrooms are being used, if the patient is co-morbid other than the vital parameters.
The information regarding the condition of the patient has to be shared with the concerned Nodal Officers at block-level and district-level.
While speaking to the Civil Surgeons, Mission Director, National Health Mission, Haryana, Mr. Prabhjot Singh said that the ‘District Home Isolation Monitoring Team’ will decide whether the patient is to be kept in home isolation or not. The team will be checking the vitals like the pulse, temperature, blood pressure, oxygen-level of the patient.
Listing the functions of the ‘District Home Isolation Monitoring Team’ Mr. Singh said that the team will provide only basic amenities like immunity boosters, AYUSH Medicines, plain paracetamol and medicines. He added that no steroids and antibiotics are to be given without prescription of MBBS Doctor and the home visit team to wear PPE kits, including the driver.
The ‘District Home Isolation Monitoring Team’ will be given PPE kits and sanitizers for their use. The Civil Surgeons were directed to ensure the availability of pulse oxymeter, non-mercury thermometer, and stethoscope and BP apparatus with each field team to check the vitals.
