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| After first ‘black fungus’ death Centre asks J&K to take effective steps | | |
Early Times Report
Jammu, May 21: Within hours after J&K reported first death due to deadly ‘black fungus’, the Union Government has asked UT government to ensure robust practices of infection prevention, control, sanitation and hygiene in hospitals. All states including the administration of UT of J&K have been directed to take effective steps for prevention and control of secondary and opportunistic fungal infections.
“In the recent days, some States and UTs have reported an increasing number of patients suffering from Mucormycosis, popularly known as Black Fungus. Taking a note of the secondary and opportunistic fungal infections which are getting amplified due to the present surge in COVID cases and Mucormycosis becoming a cause of concern, Union Ministry of Health has advised all States/UTs to review their preparedness for infection prevention and control, as well as hygiene and sanitation in hospitals”, the official handout reads as.
Union Health Secretary in his letter to Chief Secretary of J&K has urged to ensure that there are robust infection prevention and control practices in COVID hospitals and other healthcare facilities.
Like other governments of the country, J&K is also directed to establish/activate the hospital infection control committee with the head of the institution or an administrator as the chairperson.
Designate an infection prevention and control nodal officer – preferably a microbiologist or senior infection control nurse.
Union Health Secretary has issued following directions to J&K Government to contain ‘black fungus’ in the UT
• Infection prevention and control manual
• Guidelines on antimicrobial use and management
• Educational programmes and strategies
• Risk assessment and risk management
• Planning, monitoring, audit and feedback
• Implementation strategies
• Emphasise and strengthen procedures and practices for IPC. In the context of COVID-19,
• Standard precautions are to be applied all across the hospital/health facility
• Transmission-based precautions need heightened focus on droplet, airborne and contact precautions from the perspective of protecting healthcare workers and ensuring patient safety.
• Improve the environment and facilitate:
• Ventilation with focus on fresh air and natural ventilation wherever control systems with requisite air changes are not available.
• Cleaning, disinfection and sanitation of the hospital environment and frequently touched surfaces, with recommended disinfectants like 1% sodium hypochlorite or 70% alcohol.
• Safe water and food to prevent water or food borne diseases in hospital settings. |
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