As the Covid-19 pandemic develops and the situation evolved daily, Punjab’s provincial tally is over 11,000 confirmed cases within the national total of 31,000 cases. Pakistan has already seen 673 people lose their lives to the deadly disease.
In this rapidly evolving situation the Punjab government’s Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department has finally caught up and has issued guidelines for the administration and authorities to follow in case of home isolation of patients that have tested positive.
The guidelines are as follows as per the notification issued.
- Home isolation will be allowed on the recommendations of the ‘Home Isolation Committee’ with informed consent of the patient.
- The committee will be notified by the district deputy commissioner and will include the assistant commissioner (through his designated officer), deputy district health officer, chief officer of Tehsil or Town Municipal Administrations or Municipal Committees (MCs).
- A Punjab government issued detailed check list/score sheet must be filled for assessment of home isolation.
A checklist for doctors for assessment of patients and primary caregiver for home isolation must also be filled. - The committee will have to asses if there are sufficient number of single rooms (proportionate to family size) available to accommodate a COVID-19 patient.
- The committee has also been asked to consider the level of education of family, general understanding of COVID-19 self-isolation requirements and maturity to comply with the instructions of the department.
- It will be mandatory for home-isolated COVID-19 patient to monitor their health condition and report to the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department on a daily basis.
- It will be mandatory for home-isolated COVID-19 patients to comply with the instructions of the department.
- It will be mandatory for home-isolated COVID-19 patients to comply with requirements of testing protocols (as and when) required by the caregivers/P&SHC Department.
Protocol for Re-Test of a Patient and End of Isolation:
- The government has stated that confirmed cases, who are home isolated their repeat testing should be done at Day 10 of isolation period.
- To end isolation, PCR should be negative twice and at least 24 hours apart.
- For the positive test result at Day 10 (2nd positive), repeat test is to be conducted at Day 05 after the 2nd positive test.
- Where testing is not possible, WHO recommends that confirmed patients remain isolated for an additional two weeks after symptoms resolved.