BHUBANESWAR: AIIMS-Bhubaneswar has decided to suspend walk-in OPD services of all specialty and super-specialty departments temporarily from January 17 in the wake of rising Covid-19 cases among healthcare workers and patients.
The patients who have made registration online and are advised during the teleconsultation can visit their respective departments by showing their online booking number at the entry gate.
Emergency services like day-care, Radiotherapy, Dialysis, Trauma and Emergency, Life-Saving Surgery, Tele-medicine and teleconsultation service, IPD Service, Covid vaccination service, immunization for old registered patients (Wednesday and Friday) and Yellow Fever (Thursday), Pulmonary (vaccination RMRC), Anaesthesiology (PAC and Pain Clinic) will continue as before.
Overall routine check-ups will continue through 'AIIMS Bhubaneswar Swasthya" App and telemedicine (WhatsApp Call) services. All telemedicine numbers used earlier have been made fully functional now and patients have been advised to connect to doctors through the teleservices instead of coming to OPD physically.
Elective surgeries have been suspended and emergency surgeries will be taken up following all covid protocols. All departments at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar have also been directed to stop calling patients to OPD unless it is necessary.
Telemedicine services will be functional from 9 am to 5 pm from Monday to Friday and 9 am to 1 pm on Saturday on all working days. Similarly, the Swasthya App will be operational from 8.30 am to 5 pm from Monday to Friday and 8.30 am to 1 pm on Saturday on all working days.
If a treating doctor feels that the patient is in critical condition and should be seen physically, an appointment can be made either through 'Telemedicine' or Swasthya App. At the entry gate, the patient will have to show the appointment and double dose vaccination certificate.
AIIMS Medical Superintendent Dr Sachidananda Mohanty said there has been a considerable rise in Covid-19 cases in Bhubaneswar and many faculty, residents, staff, and students of AIIMS have tested positive in the last one week.
"We are compelled to stop the walk-in OPD services in such a situation. All indoor patients waiting for surgery in different surgical wards will be operated on in a staggered manner with the safety protocol. No emergency case will be denied timely medical care in the name of Covid," he assured.
At the time of IPD admission, the RT-PCR negative report for both patient and the attendant are mandatory. Only one attendant is allowed with IPD patients. All departments have been advised to follow Covid appropriate behaviour and protocols to break the chain of transmission.