A hospital visit with a difference

Tharindu De Mel

Friday 17th August 2012

It was a lazy evening when I was casually looking at the clerkship programme schedule when suddenly Friday the 17th of August caught my eye.

Obviously it had to be that I too was a victim of the negative mentality of the general society directed towards IDH, that it is a place that you should not be visiting unless absolutely necessary.

Infectious Disease Hospital in Sri Lanka is ideally and strategically placed at high ground to provide adequate ventilation to prevent airborne diseases from spreading easily. It is also located in the suburbs of Colombo within a close distance from the airport as well as the seaport to make sure that adequate supplies of drugs and medical equipment could be supplied efficiently in the event of an epidemic.

As I entered the lofty portals of the hospital the calm and serine environment quite contrary to the gruesome image I had in mind proved that society's opinion regarding the hospital is nothing but baseless.

Once we were comfortably settled in a lecture hall we were greeted by the matron of the hospital.and I thought it signalled the start of a pretty boring lecture. But little did I know that I was in for a pleasant surprise. "IDH in Sri Lanka is the most ideally structured hospital in South Asia" she boasted. Well that was how I thought. But I was amazed at the precautionary measures placed to prevent the spread of disease.

The following are the universal precautions practised at IDH to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.

1. Hand washing

2. PPE 

3. Sterilization and disinfection

4. Proper waste disposal.

5. Environmental care

Out of them PPE which is an abreviation for Personal protective equipment was fascinating. Here you could see our dear friend Eranthaka (I got his permission to use his name) looking like an astronaut or maybe an alien.

Is he an alien?

 I believe, this will be a common sight at a time of epidemics as Doctors,Nurses and other health care staff who get into direct contact with the patient will be seen moving from one isolation room to another clad in this attire.

Being clad in this attire is of paramount importance to prevent the spread of disease not only from patient to health care staff but also between patient to patient.


1. Pyjama

    2. Overall

    3. Polethene apron

    4. Mask (N 95 viral filter)

    5. Goggles

    6. Cap

    7. Shoe cover

    8. Gloves

Ideally all of the above should be worn. In fact it should be exactly in the order stated.

The patients rooms and corridors are cleaned daily with 1% TCL ( Topical chloride of lime) It is prepared by adding 30g of TCL in 1 litre of water. Once prepared it has to be used within 24 hrs. 

Magic solution "TCL"

"In an OPD setting how are you going to treat a patient coming with an infectious disease while preventing the spread of disease to the other patients?" suddenly a question was raised.. We did manage to give some answers in bits and pieces, but adding the missing points she gave the following instructions.

1. Patients with suspected infectious disease should be directed using posters or maybe the public announcement system to an isolated place in the hospital where there is less contact with other patients.

2. Masks should be provided to them to prevent the spread of airborne droplets.

3. In the consultation room, the patient should be seated near a window and the doctor away fom the window with a fan directed in  the doctor to patient direction.

She went on to relate many real life experiences which made me to think that the medical profession I have embraced requires me to at times place my duty even before my life. I went on to realize that the extremely high value price tag placed on me by my loved ones is exactly the same of how the patients loved ones would value the patients life.