Odisha govt asks COVID-19 facilities to set up helpdesk for kin of patients

The Odisha Government on Tuesday issued an advisory asking all COVID-19 facilities to establish a dedicated helpdesk to provide information and feedback on the status of the patients during the treatment to their family members.

The decision was taken in wake of complaints received from the relatives of the patients that they are not getting any feedback on the status of the COVID-19 patients.

The health and family welfare department, in its notification, said directions have been issued to theprivate hospitals to reserve 50 per cent of the total general bed and 80 per cent of ICU in five Municipal Corporation area and 10 per cent of the total bed in case of other districts.According to the government guidelines to be followed for establishing a dedicated helpdesk in each COVID-19 facility with immediate effect, the facilities (both government and private) should mandatorily establish a round the clock helpdesk and have a dedicated phone number, preferably a toll-free number, to reply to queries.

The toll-free numbers should be "widely notified to the public", and the helpdesk be manned with sufficient people round the clock, the department said.

Apart from telephonic communication, the desk should also use messaging platforms to send pictures and voice files of patients to their family members and a dedicated conference room might be set up outside of the COVID-19 facilities with the provision of TV, which can be connected with CCTVs installed inside, for the attendant to see his patient and talk to him/her," it added.

Measures need to be taken to collect and record contact numbers of the patient's family members during the time of admission. "Steps shall be taken to collect and record the contact numbers of the patient at the time of admission and even if not inquired by the attendant of the patient, a general information of the condition of the patient shall be communicated as a SMS or Whats App message to the attendant of the patient every day at least once," it maintained.

Moreover, the state would take "action if any facility was found violating the provisions" mentioned in the advisory.

( With inputs from ANI )