COVID-19

PA system at RIMS helps nurses avoid unnecessary contact with COVID-19 patients

With the installation of PA system, patients and nurses can communicate by maintaining distances, RIMS Nurses Association president T Sunita told the Imphal Free Press over the phone.

ByThomas Ngangom

Updated 1 Nov 2020, 3:35 pm

Nurses working with PA system (Photo: IFP)
Nurses working with PA system (Photo: IFP)

In a major relief for the nurses and other medical staff who often have to handle COVID-19 patients directly, a public address (PA) system has been installed at three COVID wards of the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Imphal. The Installation of PA system would help avoid unnecessary direct contact with COVID-19 patients.

“Nurses had to face direct contact with COVID patients even for a small complaint before the installation of PA system. Although the nurses use mobile phones to communicate with the patients sometimes there are various problems in the communication due to poor network,” RIMS Nurses Association president T Sunita said, speaking to the Imphal Free Press over the phone.

In all, three wards are reserved for COVID-19 patients at RIMS. At present, a total of 180 patients are undergoing treatment at the Trauma Centre, Surgical Ward and the Chest Medicine Ward, she informed.

Highlighting the difficulties faced in wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) all the time while discharging their duties, Sunita said that with the installation of PA system patients and nurses can communicate by maintaining distances.

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“If necessary, nurses handle the patients directly by taking proper precautionary measures,” she added.

Sunita said that two wireless microphones are made available in each ward for the patients and one for the nurses.

When the patients are confused what medicine to take or any other emergency matter arises, they can communicate with the nurses through the microphone.

Installation of this system not only fill the communication gap between patients and nurses but also one patient can assist another patient at the time of emergency without coming out from the ward easily, she said.

The RIMS Nurses Association, Lamphelpat expressed its gratitude to director RIMS, A Shanta and its administrative team, including deputy director (administration) K Dongel for installation of ‘public address’ (PA) system at three COVID wards to avoid unnecessary contact with the patients as precautionary measures for the medical staffs.

The association said in a statement that the initiatives taken by the RIMS director and its administrative team is a big contribution towards nursing community of the hospital.

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It also appreciated the authority for fulfilling various grievances faced by the nursing community of the hospital in time without making any complaint from the community. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic and to motivate the nurses of the hospital, some of the qualified nurses were also given promotion. This is a sign of a good administration for the hospital that is carrying on with transparency, it added.

The association president also said that with good relationship between director RIMS and the Ministry of Health, financial issues for staffs have been reduced to minimum. It is a big contribution towards nursing community who are one of the frontline warriors. They are made to handle COVID-19 patients directly.

In her final year before retirement, a senior nurse was given promotion to assistant nursing superintendent with the initiatives of Shanta after considering the contribution made by the nurses, she added.

Officials of RIMS also told the Imphal Free Press over the phone that at present about 80 ventilators are available in the hospital. One sophisticated MRI machine has been installed and will be inaugurated soon.

For non-Covid patients, casualty ward is functioning round the clock but consultation of out-patients is still suspended till further order of the institute.

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Tags:

covid-19 patientsRIMS nursesPA system

Thomas Ngangom

Thomas Ngangom

IFP reporter, IMPHAL, Manipur

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