New Delhi: While the Delhi government has not yet allowed COVID-19 dedicated teaching hospitals to resume non-COVID-19 services to any degree, Guru Tegh Bahadur Hospital has received a notification specifying how it should prepare to resume its "normal functioning along with teaching". The notification, dated this December 15, from the Government of NCT of Delhi to GTB's Medical Director, specifies things like a dedicated area for COVID-19 patients, SOPs for OPD and IPD treatment, safe deployment of healthcare workers, the status of
routine consumable and non-consumable items, and any other steps required for smooth functioning in a post-COVID dedicated phase.
The notice also said that a committee is constituted to "deliberate on all aspects of COVID-19 patients' care in GTB Hospital" once its status as a dedicated COVID hospital is withdrawn. This committee includes Dr Sanjay Gupta, HOD Surgery (chairperson), Dr AK Saxena, HOD Anesthesia, Dr Amrita Suneja, HOC Gynaecology, Dr Sanjay Agrawal, Director Prof. (Psychiatry), Dr Rajneesh Awasthi, HOD Medicine, Dr Piyush Gupta, HOD Pediatrics, and Nursing Superintendent Mamta Varun.
The committee has also been asked to submit a report to the Medical Director regarding the hospital's preparedness for re-starting non-COVID
services. GTB is the second-largest teaching hospital under Delhi Government with a 1,500-bed capacity.
Notably, Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital, the largest teaching hospital under Delhi Government with more than 2,000 beds has not received any such notification despite repeated appeals. The Resident Doctors' Association, with medical students in tow, at LNJP took out a protest march around the campus on Thursday about the same issue.
"Even the National Medical Commission ordered that medical colleges and non-COVID sections in teaching hospitals should be opened by December 1. Hospital beds are lying vacant and COVID-19 case positivity rates have dipped below 2 per cent. The RDA has been regularly petitioning to resume non-COVID services and even met the Health Minister. Why then is the future of UG and PG students being put on stake?", Dr Keshav Singh, RDA President at LNJP said.