By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, January 14, 2022: Considering the risk to non-COVID patients in visiting hospitals amid a surge in coronavirus cases, Odisha government has allowed the activation of telemedicine service for them.

The state government on Thursday issued an order asking telemedicine platforms to provide distance medical assistance to the needy.

“The present COVID-19 situation has raised a big challenge to the accessibility of patients to hospitals for general healthcare. Taking the situation into account, it has been decided to use telemedicine centres effectively and proactively established in medical colleges and other hospitals,” the order said.

The telemedicine service will be available in SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur, VIMSAR, Burla, Acharya Harihar Post Graduate Institute of Cancer and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Post Graduate Institute of Paediatrics in Cuttack round the clock and staff arrangement be made accordingly, it said.

The service will also be available at four new medical colleges and hospitals in Balasore, Baripada, Bolangir and Koraput, along with Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela General Hospital (RGH) from 8 AM to 5 PM.

In PHCs, the telemedicine service will be available as per OPD timings from 8 AM to 12 PM, and 4 PM to 6 PM, it said.

In another directive, the Health Department asked the hospital authorities to ensure social distancing, prevention of infection among healthcare personnel, avoiding non-essential admission, and conducting of only emergency surgeries with precautions.

In Inpatient Department (IPD), only one attendant be allowed for serious patients and no attendant for ambulatory patients. In Outpatient Department (OPD), medical officers should not advise frequent revisits of patients if not required, it said.

Media must not be allowed to enter either OPD or IPD, and dedicated fever clinic, isolation ward and testing facilities must be established, it said.

The order, issued by the Directorate of Health Services, was sent to the superintendents of all medical colleges and hospitals, Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar, RGH and chief district medical officers and public health officers.