Filenews 18 September 2021 - by Marilena Panagi
An updated manual on how patients, beds and discharges should be managed in order to decongest First Aid was prepared and sent to hospitals by the Organization of State Health Services. The manual includes the entire procedure, from the patient's entry to the ambulance or the Accident and Emergency Department, with specific schedules and appointment of a responsible doctor or nurse on a case-by-case basis.
Among other things, it is provided that "all laboratory tests must be carried out no later than 45 minutes and radiodiagnostics (X-rays, tomography, ultrasounds, etc.) they must be done with priority and without delay and their results must be communicated immediately to the attending physician of the TAEP, but also that the "medical specialists/trainees who are on call or are on duty to wait and are called by the doctor of the TAEP for examination of patients, must respond no later than 30 minutes from the time of the call".
The updated manual was communicated yesterday by the CSO to the OSO during a meeting held to discuss the problems presented in the TAEP which now operate and offer their services within the framework of the General Health System.
The new guidelines include a detailed reference to the way in which the wards of hospitals should operate, they are designated responsible for any action that must be taken before and after discharges are issued, while there is a clear reference to the referral of patients who come to the TAEP but are not emergencies, to their personal doctors. The coordination will be carried out by the directors of the hospitals with substantial involvement of the clinic directors and the heads of nursing officers.
