Masks must in health institutions

@samuelkuttyvp –

The Ministry of Health (MoH) said that all health workers, patients and visitors to health institutions should wear a mask to reduce the risk of spreading Covid-19.

The General Directorate of Disease Control and Control at the Ministry issued a set of recommendations which include a booster dose of Covid-19 vaccine for all health workers.

“Those who received the last dose over six to nine months ago are eligible for the booster dose”, the the directorate said in a circular.

Earlier in the week, following a jump in the number of Covid-19 cases in several parts of the world, the ministry has advised citizens and residents to take the booster dose.

“Those who did not receive the third dose of Covid-19 vaccine or those whose third dose was taken more than nine months ago can receive the dose free of charge at the nearest health centre,” the directorate said in an advisory note.

It added that the vaccine will also be available in the private health institutions which are authorised to give Covid-19 vaccination.

The other recommendations issued by the ministry include examining and sorting, and isolating suspected cases early on can be beneficial to avoid any risk of the infections spreading to a larger pool of people.

Administrative controls put in place for halting the spread of the virus, including preventing unnecessary gatherings, approving sick leaves for those in need, reducing visitors in hospitals, must be followed.

The circular by the ministry also recommends taking necessary precautionary measures to prevent any transmission of the virus is crucial in hospitals and other health institutions. A team of specialists in infection control must be present in each institute to supervise these measures and must follow up on the infection data in these institutes.

The circular with these recommendations has been issued after an increase in gatherings and community events and travel has been on the rise.

The directorate has also stressed that taking caution and following necessary procedures will ensure the safety of all those working in the health sector.

“No instructions have been issued to ease preventive measures in the health sector since the start of the pandemic,” the directorate said.