“We are ready to tackle the pandemic”— Dr Dipak Shukla

“Vaccination to the children has to be as per the Policy Guidelines from Central/State governments from time to time.  Hospital has started vaccination of children from 15 to 18 years of age.  However, past SERO survey conducted in Delhi informs 64% children population having antibody against Covid.  It reflects that the natural immunity has been acquired during past infections.  Therefore, good percentage of children population should be safe even if exposed to Corona infection,” said Dr Dipak Shukla, CEO, Pushpavati Singhania Research Institute, in an interview to Ashok Kumar. Excerpts: Omicron is rising day by day. Do you feel hospitals are ready to face the third wave? Hospitals across the India are facing impending challenge of the admission of Covid patients on account of fresh surge of Omicron virus infection.  However, Delhi as well as other places appear to be quite equipped to face the 3rd wave, because of the provision of oxygen cylinders, concentrators and installation of good capacity oxygen plants which equip the hospitals to meet the challenge of corona 3rd wave.   You must have gained lots of practical experience in handling Covid patients. Can you brief us your arrangements for third wave? On account of past experience, we have instituted following measures- (a)          Thermal screening of patients and visitors at the entry points (b)          Hand sanitization at all transit points (c)           Ensuring use of mask all the time at the work place and also ensuring proper wearing of mask of all the patients and visitors, all the time. (d)          Commissioning of Covid admission / information desk 24X7 (e)          Arrangement of vaccination from 09:00 am to 05:00 pm on all days of week including Sundays. (f)           Green corridor transit for CT scan and ward admission of Covid suspected/ positive patients. (g)          Provision of isolation beds for Covid patients in wards / ICU and Covid suspected area (h)          Ensuring round the clock doctors and nursing care of admitted Covid patients. (i)            Ensuring good clinical monitoring and required nutritional dietetic support to all admitted Covidpatients. (j)           Strict vigil on the contacts of Covid positive employees / patient’s and ensuring their quarantine for prescribed period of time. (k)          Covid protocol based duties of doctors, nurses and other support staff in the Covid ward / ICU. (l)            Proper quarantine accommodation for doctors and staff after finishing their Covid duty to ensure their safety, security and safe stay   In 2nd wave there was a huge crisis for oxygen. Is your hospitalready to provide health infra and medicines for new variants? Hospital is well equipped with much enhanced number of oxygen cylinders, oxygen concentrators and state of the art huge capacity (1200 cc/min) oxygen generation plant procured from France.  It is very much functional.   Vaccine above 15 and under 18 have started now. Don’t you feel the third wave has started and all children cannot be covered so quickly. What do you think? Vaccination to the children has to be as per the Policy Guidelines from Central/State governments from time to time.  Hospital has started vaccination of children from 15 to 18 years of age.  However, past SERO survey conducted in Delhi informs 64% children population having antibody against Covid.  It reflects that the natural immunity has been acquired during past infections.  Therefore, good percentage of children population should be safe even if exposed to Corona infection, on account of pre-existing antibodies.  However, over a period of time there should be vaccination of children upto six years of age, because children below six years of age have good innate immunity against any infection.   What do you expect from central and state govt’s to face the third wave? We expect from Central / State Govts.to equip Govt. Hospitals adequately for the Covid management in wards as well as in ICU.  Govt. should also ensure availability of sufficient number of doctors and staff in the Covid care units of the hospitals so that non Covid patients treatment can take place in the private hospitals and community does not suffer on account of Covid pandemic.  Instructions to private hospitals should be well in time and there should be a good professional coordination of Central and State Govts. with private sector hospitals to share the load of Covid patient management across the country.   What are the precautions the general public must take to avoid infection and what to do if one is tested Covidpositive? Generally public should observe pre-existing norms for the prevention of Covid Infection viz.-

1. Wearing mask all the time, when go outside of house
2. Maintaining social distancing in public places and work places

iii. Frequent washing of the hands and hand sanitization with sanitizer to prevent infection spread.

1. Not going outside of house until unless very seriously required
2. Any out station travel through rail, road or air to be avoided until unless it is very essential.
3. Careful observation of physical symptoms like cold, cough, sore throat, body ache etc.

vii.          If these symptomspersist for more than 2 to 3 days, then Covid testing should be done to rule out the Covidinfection. viii.         At the start of above symptoms one should isolate in the house to prevent spread the infection to other family members, if it comes out to be positive after testing.

1. If someone tested positive, then one should do home isolation as per the standard protocol announced in the earlier wave.
2. If isolation facility is not available, being a small house and having no separate room with attached toilet bathroom, then one may opt for hospitalization.
3. No medication should be taken if there are no disturbing symptoms.

xii.          Some fixed family member should interact with the Covid infected and isolated family member, wearing proper mask, for day to day assistance. xiii.         Large number of normal/ warm fluids/ juices should be taken in large quantities to support body function and minimize the effect of Covid infection. xiv.         Checking of temperature and oxygen saturation levels with the help of thermometer and oximeter has to be ensured on six hourly basis.

1. If there is a difficulty in breathing or some worsening of the symptoms, then immediate hospital admission should be processed to prevent avoidable complications.

xvi.         After recovery, 7 days’ quarantine is sufficient for all positive patients. xvii.        If any positive patient becomes symptoms free for three continuous days he may repeat Covid test (RTPCR) and resume his professional routine if he was tested positive earlier.