PUDUKKOTTAI: One of the biggest worries over the COVID-19 pandemic is the number of doctors and healthcare workers who are being affected by it. Add to this the global shortage of PPE kits and we've got a huge problem on our hands. Smart innovations happen during such troubled times and the Dean of Pudukkottai Medical College has developed one such solution.
He has created a partition in the testing area for COVID-19 patients. The glass partition has just two holes for the doctor's hands to collect the nasopharyngeal swab. The patient enters the room, the doctor puts a hand through the partition (wearing gloves), takes the swab and the patient leaves.
"I'm an anaesthetist and the idea struck me one day when I was intubating a patient. When we want to intubate the patients to ventilate them mechanically, it is a dangerous zone in the treating curve. When the intubation is done, there is a chance of the patient coughing or sneezing. Even while taking a nasopharyngeal swab, a thin gauze piece is inserted through the nose, which triggers a reflex, causing sneezing and cough. Same thing happens while taking a throat swab. It is scary for a doctor even with a protective suit," said Dr Meenakshisundaram, Dean of Pudukkottai Medical College.
This will also be more cost effective according to the Dean. The cost of creating a partition in an existing room is around Rs. 25,000, which is equal to the cost of 10 PPE kits (one kit costs anywhere between Rs 2000-3000).
Doctors also have to change their suits after taking a swab from a patient. "This is a foolproof idea. There is no need to wear suits also, but I have still advised my doctors to wear suits. There wouldn't be a need to change the suit everytime. Even if a patient sneezes, the droplets would get stuck on the partition. Every time a patient leaves the room, it is immediately sprayed with lizol," he said.
Health minister Dr C Vijayabaskar checked this partition and was impressed by it. Medical colleges across the state have been informed about this method and will start working on it soon.
"The idea is simple. Create a partition till the ceiling in an existing room and create two holes for the doctor's hands. Doctors also feel comfortable with this," added Dr Meenakshisundaram.
A similar innovation was done in South Korea where a telephone booth like cubicle was created for the doctors and the patients would sit outside while being tested. Kerala has also installed similar walk-in sample kiosks at the Government Medical College in Ernakulam.
Doctors feel the Pudukkottai method gives them more breathing space. "We are able to relax. In the South Korean model, doctors can't sit comfortably as it is small," said a doctor at the Pudukkottai college. The Dean now plans to start using airtight rubber gloves to further reduce the chances of infection. He also says that such a wall can be used in coronavirus ICU wards which can be used for intubation.