AIIMS Rishikesh to shut its OPD facility for routine cases to focus on Covid treatment – ET HealthWorld

Starting Monday, the hospital will offer OPD services only in emergency cases. The other patients however can connect with doctors through the institute’s telemedicine OPD services, a video-based clinical consultation that is operated between 9 am and 1 pm every working day.

“Patients can reach our telemedicine facility at these numbers — 7302895044, 7454989545 and 9621539863. They can also call us at toll-free number 18001804278. Also, the emergency services, chemotherapy and radiotherapy facilities for cancer patients will be kept operational round the clock as before,” said Professor Ashwani Kumar Dalal, medical superintendent, AIIMS-R.

Besides, services related to emergency cases, trauma treatment and radiotherapy will continue uninterrupted, according to AIIMS-R authorities.

According to TOI sources, AIIMS-R currently has 81 Covid patients and 20 people who are suspected to be infected with Covid. The hospital has 100 beds allotted for Covid patients and 50 additional beds reserved for those Covid patients who need ICU admission. Apart from these, the DRDO facility, run by AIIMS-R, has 400 beds for Covid infected. Unlike the second wave, when a massive increase in patient influx overwhelmed the facility, AIIMS-R is better prepared this time, add sources.

Meanwhile, Uttarakhand recorded 4,759 new infections on Saturday, pushing the tally of active cases to 28,907. The hill state also recorded seven Covid-related deaths. According to health experts, the Delta strain of Covid remains more fatal than the new Omicron variant. However, the Omicron strain is more contagious.