NEIGRIHMS to Provide Treatment Only to "Critically Ill" Non COVID-19 Patients

Shillong, April 2, 2020:

NEIGRIHMS or the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences will provide treatment to only critically ill non COVID-19 patients who are certified by their respective State Governments.

The NEIGRIHMS Director has issued a protocol to be adopted for transfer of non COVID-19 critically ill patients from other States to NEIGRIHMS, Shillong and according to the new set of rules, “Only Critically ill non COVID-19 patient(s) certified by the concerned State Health Authority, can seek treatment at NEIGRIHMS.”

It also clarified that the non COVID-19 patients will be able to seek treatment at NEIGRIHMS till the pandemic is over.

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“The number of accompanying attendants of the non COVID-19 critically ill patient(s), be limited to only one. At the border, the data of ambulance, driver, etc. of the critically ill patient(s) and accompanying person be maintained and certified by the State Health Authority,” it said.

NEIGRIHMS has additionally issued a mandatory 14-day quarantine directive for the attendants of the critically-ill patients.

It may be mentioned here that considering the current COVID-19 situation in the Northeast region, the NEIGRIHMS has come forward to accommodate non COVID-19 patients under its fold so that the rest can continue with the testing of the COVID-19 positive patients.

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NEIGRIHMS is also the only testing centre for COVID-19 in Meghalaya and it has so far tested more than 50 cases.

Meanwhile, Meghalaya, as per Ministry of Home Affairs guidelines, has restricted inter-state and inter-district movements.

300 beds are being prepared for dealing with a possible outbreak of coronavirus in Tura, Meghalaya. The Guest House of MBoSE, SMELC and Isolation Ward of Tura Civil Hospital have all been converted to deal with coronavirus related cases.

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Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma informed that the Government is working to establish a full-fledged testing center at the Tura Civil Hospital, which would take a few more days.

He has also directed the administration to ensure that essential commodities are made available to the public. “People should not panic and maintain social distancing. The Government is making efforts to put in place all logistics and supply of essential commodities,” the Chief Minister had said while addressing a press conference.

It is pertinent to mention here that a red alert relating to the COVID-19 has been sounded in the Northeast Indian region ever since the first corona positive case was reported in the State of Manipur. With the numbers rising in neighboring Assam, the State is taking additional preventive measures.