Gurgaon administration allows housing societies to set up small COVID-19 care facilities

The administration has issued a detailed guideline in this regard on Saturday.

“There has been a rapid increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in Gurugram and the state government has directed to increase the number of quarantine/Isolation facilities. Requests have been received from gated housing societies to set up small COVID-19 care facilities run by Resident Welfare Associations (RWA), housing societies ant NGOs,” the district magistrate has said in a order.

The authority has said that it will help reduce the burden on existing facilities for managing pre-symptomatic, asymptomatic and very mild case s of Covid-19 residing in that particular society.

“The CCF is not meant for critical-ill elderly patients, children less than 10 years of age, pregnant or lactating women, and heart disease, kidney disease, chronic respiratory disease, cancer and other immune-compromised states) who shall be admitted to a proper Hospital/ Covid Care centers,” the guideline says.

The CCF will follow strict infection prevention and control practices so that confirmed and suspect cases would be kept in patients with co-morbidities (diabetes, hypertension, separate partitioned areas and no intermixing will be allowed.

There should also be separate toilets for both categories. The facility will be linked to the surveillance team (IDSP) and an ambulance provider, and important telephone numbers of the RWA/residential society/NGO, doctor, caregiver and ambulance service provider shall be displayed prominently.

The makeshift facility may be set up in a community hall or common utility area within the premises of residential complex or empty flats, which are isolated location-wise from rest of the occupied dwelling

The facility should have a separate entry and exit, with the mandatory hand hygiene arrangements (sanitizer/ dispenser) and thermal screening provisions for caregivers.

“The beds shall be placed at least one meter (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,” the guideline says.

The facility will be regularly inspected by the Rapid Response Teams to provide guidance to the RWA/residential society concerned.