MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th April, 2020) The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is helping a regional hospital in Afghanistan's southern province of Kandahar with medical supplies and staff training as part of its COVID-19 response, the public relations adviser for the ICRC Asia-Pacific told Sputnik in an interview on Monday.
The medical facility in question is the Mirwais Regional Hospital (MRH), which for years has been receiving the lion's share of its funding from the Red Cross. As of Monday, Kandahar has confirmed 11 COVID-19 cases. In total, Afghanistan has registered 367 cases, including seven fatalities.
"To prepare a response for COVID-19, the ICRC is working with MoPH [Ministry of Public Health] and staff at the Hospital as follows: Infection control contingency stocks prepositioned in MRH pharmacy, stocks will be monitored closely and replenished as necessary ... Support with the training of clinical staff on COVID-19 preparation and management," Pawel Krzysiek said.
Nine screening nurses have also been hired with the ICRC's support. They were given the required training, and screenings have already started at the hospital's three public entrances. In addition, the Red Cross has helped hire 15 more screening personnel at the province's border areas, Krzysiek went on.
"Washbasins have been installed by at four entrances (three for the public, one for the staff) for handwashing on entry to MRH compound and contingency stocks of cleaning materials prepositioned (soap, chlorine, etc.)," he added.
Thermometers, phones and other equipment have been donated to the hospital's isolation ward as part of the COVID-19 response plan, which was jointly coordinated with the hospital's management and the provincial health directorate.
In addition, informational brochures were provided to the provincial health directorate for distribution in Primary health care clinics, and airport and border screening areas, according to the ICRC representative.
The Red Cross-run Physical Rehabilitation Program (PRP) in the country has also been adapted to COVID-19 risks, with only urgent patients now being admitted at relevant health centers. Maintenance of prostheses and orthoses is also underway.
"While the home visit program for spinal cord injuries who cannot come to the Physical Rehabilitation Centres continues, visits are restricted to the most urgent and serious patients in need ... Stricter hygiene measures, hygiene training in all ICRC Physical Rehabilitation Centres and screening of patients and visitors have been introduced," Krzysiek said.
The program for providing vocational training and microloans to patients who have completed their treatment has also been scaled back, he added, and the sports component of the program, such as wheelchair basketball and futsal, has been suspended.
