ASHWINI KAMAT
PANAJI
With an eye on cent per cent preparedness to handle any positive cases of COVID-19, Directorate of Health is presently undertaking intensive training programmes based on Union Health Ministry’s Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all government medical officials. The entire medical staff of the health department will have been trained over the coming seven days.
Director of Health Services, Dr Jose D’Sa informed that a team of four doctors from Goa Medical College and Hospital and Health Department was sent to Delhi on March 6 to attend a one-day master trainers’ programme conducted by the Union Health Ministry. The four-member team included a physician, a microbiologist, state surveillance officer and a community medical specialist.
“These four medical officials are now in the process of training paramedics and medical professionals in Goa. One training session was held on March 9 at DHS conference Hall for health officers in-charge of hospitals, which was attended by 50 members. We will now be training all the lower rungs of the hierarchy. GMC and DHS are simultaneously conducting the training and within the next seven days, we will cover the entire medical and paramedical staff of DHS and GMC,” Dr D’Sa disclosed.
The training involves intensive education about the guidelines, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and the advisories we have issued, investigations on how to draw and pack samples, how to manage symptoms, how to grade the patients based on symptoms as there is no specific treatment as such and we have to go symptomatically and so on. “We are updating our medical staff about diagnostics as well as the management of symptoms. We also tell them how to protect the patient, caregivers and themselves while treating suspected cases. Along with this, the aspect of surveillance is also touched upon,” Dr D’Sa said.
In addition to this, the Health Department has been sharing all the advisories and guidelines received from Union Health Ministry with every private, semi-autonomous and government medical institution in the state. Union Health Ministry convenes review video-conferences every third day to review the measures to be adopted. Instructions issued during these video conferences are disseminated among the private and government institutions.
In February, the DHS handed over a few flex boards to Kadamba Transport Corporation for creating awareness among travellers about COVID-19. Kadamba Transport Corporation Managing Director Venancio Furtado informed The Goan that the flex boards have been displayed at Margao and Panaji KTC bus depots, which are the busiest stations. “We have since conducted lectures for our staff on how to manage persons with prominent symptoms of the disease,” he said.
The Health Director further said that DHS has also requested the Education Department to issue advisories to all educational institutions about preventive measures and general hygiene to safeguard the students and staff members on their campus.
In order to reach the masses, the DHS has also begun to air awareness programmes on Doordarshan, FM radio as well as tickers on news channels.
TRAINING ON STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES
PANAJI: The training involves intensive education about the guidelines, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and the advisories we have issued, investigations on how to draw and pack samples, how to manage symptoms, how to grade the patients based on symptoms as there is no specific treatment as such and we have to go symptomatically and so on.
“We are updating our medical staff about diagnostics as well as the management of symptoms. We also tell them how to protect the patient, caregivers and themselves while treating suspected cases. Along with this, the aspect of surveillance is also touched upon,” Dr D’Sa said.
