Disallow entry of people without face masks, hospitals told

LAHORE :The Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education (SHC&ME) Department directed the hospitals/medical institutions to remove any person not wearing a face mask from the hospital premises.

The Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education (SHC&ME) Department, after approval from the competent authority, issued a notification on Wednesday, directing the hospitals/medical institutions to ensure that any person who is not wearing a face mask or any face cover covering his/her mouth and nose should not be allowed to enter, roam around or stay within the hospital, inside the building as well as the open areas.

This condition shall be applicable on all people, including the staff of the hospitals, doctors, patients and other visitors. The notification, addressed to all the vice-chancellors of medical universities, principals of medical and dental colleges, heads of specialised medical institutions and medical superintendents of teaching hospitals in Punjab, directed that all necessary precautionary measures should be adopted for the safety of patients and healthcare service providers.

The hospitals should ensure regular and repeated disinfection regime, including cleaning of floors, surfaces of tables, chairs, door knobs, wheel chairs, stretchers, railings, etc, with the approved disinfectants/cleaning solutions. Adequate quantity of hand sanitizer be made available for the patients, attendants, as well as for the healthcare service providers, it said. Soaps/liquid hand wash and tissue papers be made available in toilets in ample quantity. “This order is issued for immediate and strict compliance,” says the notification.