Health Ministry Issues Guidelines For Covid Centres Within Gated Housing Societies

The Minsitry of Health has issued new guidelines for gated communities that are interested in setting up Covid care facility within apartment complexes and gated housing societies.

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New Delhi: As the cases of coronavirus continue to rise in India, the Ministry of Health has brought out guidelines for gated communities and apartment complexes that are interested in setting up small covid centres within the complexes. According to the ministry, the step will help in reducing pressure from the healthcare system which is inundated with Covid 19 cases. The guidelines say that these centres will be 'makeshift facilities' that can be managed by the RWAs or even by collaborating with NGOs. ‘This will be more acceptable to the residents and will help reduce the burden on existing facilities for managing suspect / pre-symptomatic/asymptomatic / very mild cases of COVID-19.’ The facilities have to be set up by following strict infection prevention and control practices and the RWAs will have to ensure that there is no intermixing of suspected and confirmed cases. The details about the requirements for the infrastructure, human resources for the centre and logistics have been given in the guidelines. It also says that once such facilities are set up, the District Rapid Response Team (RRT) will visit and check all the requirements to make sure that there are no gaps. If the facility is considered not suitable the RRT will also discontinue it. Some of the regulations that the ministry has specified for such centres include

• Separate entry and exit. The entrance should have mandatory hand hygiene arrangements (sanitiser dispenser) and thermal screening provisions for caregivers.
• The beds shall be placed at least one metre (3 feet) from one another.
• Adequate natural room ventilation shall be ensured, and putting up exhaust fans to vent out air from the facility is desirable.
• A doctor residing within the gated complex or provided by the NGO will facilitate daily medical examination of the admitted patients.
• A caregiver designated by the RWA/residential society/NGO shall be identified to provide care to the patients.

But the ministry has clarified that the facility is not meant for elderly patients, children below 10 years, pregnant/lactating women and patients with co-morbidities.