‘Risk-free’ medical service from safety chamber
Kalihati UZ hospital makes the arrangement as safeguard against Covid-19
A specially designed 'safety chamber' in Tangail's Kalihati Upazila Health Complex, set up for ensuring protection from coronavirus infection during treatment of general patients at the outdoor, has received appreciation from all concerned.
On May 5, following detection of the first Covid-19 patient in the upazila, who had received treatment for a common illness at the health complex a day earlier, the doctors and health workers associated with the patient were sent to quarantine and one of the health workers was later tested Covid-19 positive.
Consequently, the upazila administration decided to ensure highest safety of the doctors and health workers at the hospital so that health services for the general patients are not hampered.
Then the upazila health complex set up the four-booth air-conditioned safety chamber with Tk 5 lakh financial support from the upazila parishad and the new chamber started functioning on May 23.
Ticket providers, doctors and pharmacists involved in the services work from inside the chamber, Dr Saidur Rahman, upazila health and family planning officer in Kalihati, told The Daily Star.
"Here the ticket issued with the patient's information from the first chamber is given to the doctor at the chamber next to him. The doctor, wearing gloves, examines the patient with stethoscope from inside the chamber, measures the temperature with digital thermal scanner, measures the level of oxygen in the patient's body and pulse through digital pulse oximeter.
The doctor then puts the prescription for the patient to the computer, which is printed in the pharmacy section. The pharmacist provides the printed prescription and medicine to the patient after confirmation of the token number of the patient, he said.
The whole process has been designed to ensure safety for doctors, health workers and service recipients from the risk of coronavirus infection, he added.
During a recent visit to the health complex, it was seen that the doctors were providing health care services to the patients, maintaining safety inside the chamber made of glass.
Expressing satisfaction with the arrangement, Saiful Islam, a patient at the outdoor, said, "The doctors, other staff, as well as patients earlier faced the risk of coronavirus infection here. After setting up of the safety chamber, they feel safe now."
Contacted, Kalihati Upazila Nirbahi Officer Shamim Ara Nipa, said, "The safer healthcare delivery process has been arranged to ensure protection for all concerned. Earlier the upazila administration arranged a special vehicle for the health complex, which moves to the people's doorsteps for collecting samples."