Delhi’s Lok Nayak Hospital chosen as dedicated facility for Omicron variant in Capital

The Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital in central Delhi has been designated as the dedicated hospital in the national capital to treat those who have been tested with Omicron, the new variant of SARS-CoV-2, stated an order issued by the Delhi health and family welfare department.

According to the order, LNJP Hospital will designate one or more separate wards for isolating and treating such patients as per the guidelines circulated by the union health ministry. “All the necessary precautions and preventive steps to stop the infection will be taken as per the guidelines circulated by the government, including deployment of adequate security,” noted the order signed by SM Ali, the special secretary in the Delhi Health and Family Welfare department.

The order underscored that no Covid-19 patient of the new variant of SARS Cov-2 would be denied admission on “any ground”.

On Sunday, November 28, the Union health ministry had announced a new set of guidelines for international travellers amid renewed fears over Omicron, which has been classified as a variant of concern by the World Health Organisation.

“All those who arrive at the airport will get tested there and those whose RT-PCR tests show positive will be transferred to the isolation facility at LNJP Hospital. We will follow the guidelines set up by WHO,” said Dr Suresh Kumar, Medical Director of the hospital.

Kumar underlined that the treatment procedures for the different variants of the same virus remain the same. “Whether it is Beta, Gamma, Delta or Omicron variant of Coronavirus, the treatment remains the same. What we have followed until now will be continued,” added Kumar.

All international passengers have to submit 14 days' travel history and upload negative Covid test results on the government's Air Suvidha portal, the guidelines stated. They have to upload a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR report, which should have been conducted within 72 hrs prior to undertaking the journey.

The new guidelines would come into effect from December 1, 2021.

Passengers originating or transiting from at-risk countries shall be informed by the airlines that they will undergo post arrival testing, quarantine if tested negative, stringent isolation protocols. At the time of boarding the flight, only asymptomatic travellers would be allowed to board after thermal screening.

The passengers found to be symptomatic during screening shall be immediately isolated and taken to medical facility as per health protocol. If tested positive, their contacts shall be identified and managed as per laid down protocol.

Those from at risk countries will have to submit sample for post-arrival COVID-19 test at the point of arrival (self-paid). Such travellers have to wait for their test results at the arrival airport before leaving or taking a connecting flight.

If they test positive, their samples should be sent for genomic testing at INSACOG laboratory network. They will be managed at a separate isolation facility and treated as per laid down standard protocol including contact tracing. The passengers found to be symptomatic during screening shall be immediately isolated and taken to medical facility as per health protocol.

Those who test negative, they have to be under home quarantine for seven days, then re-test on the eighth day of arrival in India and if negative, further self-monitor of their health for next seven days.

The contacts of such positive case should be kept under institutional quarantine or at home quarantine strictly monitored by the concerned state government as per laid down protocol.

Travellers from countries excluding those countries at risk will be allowed to leave the airport and shall self-monitor their health for 14 days after their arrival. Randomly, five percent of such travellers will be tested. The cost of testing of such travellers shall be borne by MoCA.