Health Ministry issues new SOP for handling COVID-19 patients amid local transmission

As India's positive Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases soar to 1071, the Union Health Ministry, on Monday, has issued new standard operating procedure (SOP) for transporting a suspect/confirmed case - applicable to India's current phase (local transmission and limited community transmission). The Health Ministry in the press briefing has denied any community transmission of the pandemic in the nation as India's testing scope with 3,501  tests done on Sunday. Currently, India has 942 active cases with 29 deaths.

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The SOP guides ambulance drivers and technicians in transporting COVID-19 patients and the types of ambulances - ALS (with ventilators) and BLS (without ventilators)  to be used for transportation. Apart from the type of ambulances, the SOP also instructs Call centers to handle the disaster calls, the management of the patient in the ambulance, his handing over and the disinfection of ambulance. The SOP also deals with the capacity building of the medical technicians and the monitoring of the ambulance staff. 

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Health Ministry briefing

• Health Ministry clarifies that the country is still in the local transmission stage if it reaches the community transmission stage, the Health Ministry will admit it but the country is not there yet.
• 92 new cases of COVID19 and four deaths have been reported in the last 24 hours, taking total cases to 1071 & number of deaths to 29 in India
• Exclusive cargo flights have been approved to transport medicines & other essentials. Senior citizens have to follow 100% lockdown and other measures and new guidelines have been issued to disinfect places where COVID-19 cases were reported.
• Instructs to not speculate on the extension of lockdown
   

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Coronavirus crisis in India

As of date, 1024 positive cases have been reported of the pandemic Coronavirus (COVID-19) - 95 have been discharged and Maharashtra reporting the highest at 203. 27 deaths have been reported till date. India has suspended all visas and barred travel from Afghanistan, Philippines, EU, UK, China, Malaysia and mandatory 14-day quarantine from several other countries and the Prime Minister has issued a 21-day countrywide lockdown starting from 25 March to April 15 and launched the PM-CARES fund to aid the government in its battle against COVID-19.