The first wave of Covid Pandemic hit the state in March 2020. The Government of Odisha constituted a Core Committee for the management of Covid and non-Covid issues which comprised of the following members:
| Prof (Dr) Datteswar Hota, Dean and Principal | Chairman of the committee |
| Prof (Dr) MR Pattnaik, HOD Pulmonary Medicine | Member |
| Prof (Dr) B N Mahapatra, HOD, Medicine | Member |
| Prof (Dr) Nirupama Chayani, HOD, Microbiology | Member |
| Prof (Dr) Bidyut Das Professor Medicine | Member |
| Prof (Dr) Tushar Kar , HOD, O & G | Member |
| Mr Kalpatru Behera OAS Administrative Officer | Member |
This committee presided over all the affairs related to COVID management starting from creation of COVID 1, COVID 2 and COVID 3 facilities with preparation of SOPs for its functioning.
When the 2nd wave hit Odisha, SCB Medical College was fully prepared to face the onslaught with a set of unique facilities and management strategies unparalleled in many institutions of the country.
The OPD facility which started as a screening site for fever and suspected COVID cases initially is currently functioning 24x7 catering to 300 patients a day. The OPD HUB is equipped with laboratory facility to conduct the RAT test immediately. The patients detected to be COVID positive are transferred to Dedicated COVID Hospital (DCH) 2. Patients who are suspected to have COVID but are negative based on the RAT are transferred to DCH 1 for RT PCR and COVID management. All patients are started treatment immediately at the OPD based on their clinical profile. There are 11 dedicated beds with provision for oxygen therapy and emergency management of the sick patients adjacent to the COVID OPD.
A total of 28,402 patients have been attended in the COVID OPD between October 2020 - 19th June 2021
The Dedicated COVID Hospital 1 (DCH1) has several unique facilities besides catering to RAT negative COVID suspect patients. It has 250 beds, and provisions for 21 ICU beds. DCH1 has a dedicated ward for the management of COVID positive paediatric patients by a dedicated team of paediatricians. It also has a dedicated dialysis unit for the management COVID positive CKD patients. The dialysis unit has three dialysis machines run by trained staff 24x7 under the direct supervision of a team of nephrologists. This dialysis unit has conducted 915 sessions of hemodialysis between August 2020 - 21st June 2021.
All the RAT negative suspected COVID patients are admitted to DCH-1 and managed according to their severity. These patients undergo RT PCR test and if found positive are shifted to COVID 2 facility (DCH-2).
During the period from October 2020 - 19th June 2021, 5020 patients have been admitted in DCH 1.
The dedicated COVID hospital 2 (DCH 2) cares for the RAT/ RTPCR positive cases. DCH 2 has 250 general beds and 40 ICU facilities. It is unique in housing an OT complex to operate on patients with surgical emergencies which is managed by a dedicated surgical team. Twenty three patients with major and minor surgical emergencies in COVID positive patients have been performed between October 2020-19th June 2021.
The DCH 2 also houses the COVID control room and the medicine sub-store. This COVID medicine sub-store supplies medical supplies for all the four dedicated COVID hospitals of SCBMCH.
During the period from October 2021 - 19th June 2021, 2749 laboratory confirmed COVID patients have been admitted in DCH2.
The dedicated COVID hospital 3 (DCH3) is a unique facility housed in the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology for patients who are pregnant. DCH3 also caters to COVID positive patients with gynecological problems requiring urgent interventions. DCH 3 has 40 general beds including 3 ICU beds. There is a labour room which has 2 labour tables and an operation theatre for urgent Caesarian Section.
During the period from October 2021 - 19th June 2021, 496 laboratory confirmed COVID patients have been admitted in DCH3.
The dedicated COVID Hospital 4 (DCH-4) has been started since 25th May 2021 in view of the huge surge of patients in the second wave of the COVID pandemic. DCH 4 is housed in the Center of Excellence for Pulmonary Medicine. DCH-4 has 100 beds with central oxygen support including 41 ICU beds. The DCH-4 also has an isolation ward and a negative pressure cabin
During the period from 25 May 2021 - 21st June 2021, 119 laboratory confirmed COVID patients have been admitted in DCH 4.
A committed 20 bedded mucormycosis ward has been created in the Department of ENT. There is a team of specialists headed by the Professor and HOD of ENT and supported by the HOD Opthalmology, Assistant Professors of the departments of Medicine, Pulmonary Medicine and Microbiology for patient care.
THE MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE:
1 ) The HR Management Team:
A committee comprising of 8 members: 1 senior faculty for each of the 4 Dedicated COVID Hosptals, 3 hospital managers, and 1 senior faculty (Professor) as the advisor of the committee has been constituted to review, monitor and audit various categories of human resources engaged in the various COVID facilities on a day-to-day basis.
2) Staff deployment :
Doctors, Nurses and Paramedics: A total of 153 doctors are deployed per day in 4 COVID units divided into three shifts. Similarly 268 Nursing staff and 60 Pharmacists are deployed per day distributed in three shifts.
For the smooth functioning of the 4 Dedicated COVID Hospitals, each DCH has been placed under 2 senior Faculty member as “advisor” and “In-Charge”. A dedicated faculty from the department of Anesthesiology has been placed in charge of the ICUs.
3) Attendant deployment:
209 attendants for the four COVID units, help-desk, Sub-store, oxygen movement, dead body disposal, control reserve and patient transfer desk are deployed daily for smooth functioning of various work.
5) Security:
84 security personnel, distributed in three shifts, are deployed daily in COVID facilities.
6) Diet management:
A professional dietician has been engaged to look after the quality of food and nutrition of COVID patients. A daily menu is prepared based on the requirement and feed-back from the patient.
7)Oxygen supply 24×7:
Oxygen supply is a vital component of COVID care. To stream the activities of this unit a team comprising of 2 store keepers, three clerks and a typist under the control of a Nodal Officer, the Accounts Officer, has been constituted that controls Oxygen cylinder movement 24X 7 (Annexure 4)
8) Help Desk :
A help desk has been established to address the various issues related to patients and their attendants. The help desk functions 24 x 7 to help disseminate information about the patients to the attendants. Three non-clinical Assistant Professors (one per shift) have been deployed along with one Hospital Manager to coordinate the smooth functioning of the help desk. On an average, more than 100 incoming calls and more than 450 outgoing calls are being handled by the help desk.
9) Laboratory service for COVID Patients:
A dedicated laboratory service has been created under the supervision of an Assistant Professor of Biochemistry to facilitate the rapid turn over of important tests for the management of COVID patients.
10) Dead body disposal:
The sensitive issue of quick and dignified disposal of dead bodies has been assigned to a team headed by the Emergency Medical Officer.