The COVID-19 lockdown will see its end sooner or later. But what’s next? We do not need to be hit by a novel virus, for us to put in place precautions for the safety of the clients and ourselves. True to that, Dr Sonia Tekchandani, Consulting Dermatologist and Antiaging Specialist, Tender Skin International, says, “It’s not just in the current outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19), but we have always made sure that all necessary precautions are taken for our client’s safety!”
Dr Tekchandani has been taking complete precautions to prevent the spread of the disease while creating minimum panic. With Aesthetic Medicine, she shares 14 preventive measures initiated by her in her day-to-day practice.
1. We do not allow more than 5-10 people at any given time in the waiting area. To maintain some distance between patient groups, a gap of at least 3 feet, if possible, is maintained.
2. Discouraging healthy patients from coming to the clinic for routine check-ups or to show reports for the next two weeks.
3. Doctors to examine the patients quickly, minimise talking, scrub hands thoroughly using alcohol-based sanitizers before and after examining every patient. Detailed history has been taken at the reception regarding flu-like illness and travel history before allowing the patient to come in.
4. We have limited the number of people who accompany the patients to the clinics, and we do not allow senior citizens and children to accompany patients to the clinic.
5. No medical representatives are allowed to visit doctors for two weeks.
6. Sanitizer containing 70 per cent alcohol is kept at the reception for patients and staff and we ensure everyone uses the same before entering.
7. All staff members are maintaining complete hygiene by washing, sanitizing, changing their clothes and wearing a mask.
8. Doctors and nurses to change dress when going home. Clean fomites (mobile phones, stethoscopes) before going home.
9. We have posters of hand hygiene, cough etiquette, corona disease, warning about asymptomatic carriers, social distancing is pasted at the entrance of the clinic.
10. We have also implemented cashless transactions and informed clients at the reception to frequently scrub hands with hand sanitizers.
11. High priority on clinic cleaning. Every two to three hours: railings, doorknobs, surfaces (reception desk, doctor’s table) are cleaned.
12. Distancing, hand hygiene and personal protective measures are being followed stringently.
13. The number of patients has been reduced considerably as we are discouraging unnecessary visits.
14. Also, clinic timings have been realigned to see only emergency patients, if any.
Would you like to add to the above listed preventive measures? write in to us at shriyal.s@ideas-exchange.in
(Photo by Anna Shvets from Pexels)