Amid the fear of a Monkeypox outbreak in the country, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi on Tuesday issued specific guidelines for handling the suspected Monkeypox patients while allocating five separate beds for their treatment in isolation.
The development comes within days since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. The global health watchdog also highlighted the need for heightened awareness of the disease, rapid identification, and stringent infection control measures to prevent further spread.
Monkeypox outbreak: About AIIMS guidelines
According to the standard operating procedures (SOP), the suspected patients should be promptly placed in a designated isolation area to minimise contact with other patients and staff.
As per the protocol, patients with symptoms including fever, rash, or a history of contact with an individual with confirmed Monkeypox infection should be flagged for immediate assessment upon arrival.
The guidelines also include quick identification of key symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, swollen lymph nodes, chills, exhaustion, and characteristic skin lesions (maculopapular rash that may progress to vesicles and pustules).
According to the SOPs, all Monkeypox patients should be handled with strict infection control measures and the staff should use personal protective equipment (PPE) when dealing with them.
Besides, proper documentation of the patient's details, symptoms, and referral process should be maintained, the document added.
Monkeypox guidelines: Beds, ambulance allocated
As per the official SOP, five beds have been allocated in the AB-7 ward to isolate the Monkeypox cases which will be allotted to patients on the recommendation of the chief medical officer of the emergency wing.
The AB-7 ward shall remain a temporary holding area for the patients until they are shifted to the hospitals earmarked for definitive care. Three Centre-run hospitals- Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Safdarjung and Lady Hardinge- have been identified as nodal centres in the national capital for isolation, management and treatment of any patient with Monkeypox.
A dedicated ambulance has also been allotted to shift the patients to the Safdarjung Hospital.
The SOPs also directed officials to inform the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) when a suspected Monkeypox case is identified and provide them with the patient's details, brief history, clinical findings and contact details.
