Following the sharp surge in Coronavirus positive cases Bokaro General Hospital (BGH) scaled back non-essential elective surgeries, an effort to make room for those critically ill and prevent infections. The hospital management also suspended Orthopedic OPD until further notice.

In view of the current pandemic situation where an increased number of COVID-9 cases are being admitted in BGH, the management has released a new manual which is effected from 21 July till next order, informed M K Dhan Chief of Communication Bokaro Steel Plant (BSL).

Our motto is to decongest the OPD, pharmacy and maintain social distancing; to adjust the hospital function taking in account the availability of the health care workers who are on COVID duty as well as those going in quarantine, he said.

“So the hospital management has revised the function of the hospital,” added Dhan.

According to this new manual all routine operations postponed till further notice while emergency services will be continued as usual, it stated. Health centres at Sector 1,4,6, 9 and sector 12 will be operational from 8 am to 12 pm only while Health Center running under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) at Sector 5 will remain suspended until further notice. Medicine OPD for Cardio, Nephro and Gastro will be operational from 3.30 PM to 6.30 PM while ENT OPD will be opened from 3 PM to 7 PM, it stated.

The all other OPD will remain open as per the existing schedule on respective days and rooms from 8 am to 12 noon, it stated.

“There is also a manpower crisis, following after few doctors and medical staff of BGH were tested positive for COVID-19,” official sources said. To meet any emergency like the situation the BGH management is also in contact with the doctors and medical staffs of the other units of SAIL including IISCO-Burnpur, Rourkela, Kirubiru and Durgapur steel plant’s hospitals, he informed.

Meanwhile, following the consistent rise in COVID-19 cases day-by-day panic gripped the Steel belt. Until now, the total number of infected people has risen 82 in Bokaro out of which two died in Bokaro.

Seven new positive cases (Trunat test) of COVID-19 have been reported in Bokaro on Monday night. All of them were admitted to COVID hospital at BGH, said A K Pathak Civil Surgeon Bokaro.

HDFC Bank Sector 4 at B S City and other different populated areas at Lohanchal Colony Biada in Bokaro and Chas were sealed after the district administration declared those areas as containment zones.