Visit to IDH - Base Hospital of Angoda

Chameera Punchihewa
17th August 2012
Post no.1

                                          Visit to IDH

               The Infectious Disease Hospital( IDH ) / Base hospital of Angoda as its  name suggests functions primarily as Sri Lanka's main infectious disease controlling hospital although through the years it has also gradually developed into an almost fully functioning base hospital consisting of medical wards, paediatric wards, an HIV ward, a Dengue management unit and ICU facilities. 

              Built during the 1860's by the British it first functioned as a hospital mainly targeted towards treating patients with infectious disease such as small pox which was at a pandemic level during that time. its close proximity to the colombo harbour and airport which were likely places to contain significant amounts of tourists carrying such diseases and it being the highest area of colombo (41 feet above sea level) were some of the reasons that drew the British into allocating such a facility in Angoda.

  

a spacious environment consisting of highly ventilated wards considerably distanced and separated from each other and long narrow corridors are the hallmarks of this facility providing a lot of 'Breathing space' to the inhabitants. 

The staff of the IDH brought into our attention some important concepts regarding the management of infectious diseases which i'll be describing below. 

for instance when a patient suspected to have an ID presents to the OPD the following measures are  taken:

• the patient is given a mask to prevent transmission via nasal droplets
• he/she is taken to a separate room in the OPD to be seen by the doctor - the room should ideally be well ventilated and oriented in such a way that the patient is seated near the window with the doctor facing him and a fan placed behind the doctor so as to disseminate the airborne pathogens into the environment outside.
• the patient should be managed in accordance with the 'universal precautions' at all times. these are;

1. Hand washing
2. PPE (personal protective equipment)
3. Sterilization & disinfection
4. Waste management 
5. Environmental cleaning

•  an identified patient is next transferred to an isolation room where he'll be treated from there onwards.

                                                                                                                                                                     a special mention needs to be made regarding PPE/ Personal Protective Equipment ;

             the PPE consists of several modalites of protective gear and clothing, which are worn in a particular order as follows;

1.    pajama with a high neck collar and long sleeves
2.   overall (orange)
3.   water resistant polythene apron
4.   N-95 mask
5.   Goggles
6.   shoe covers (boots are worn upon entering the isolation room)
7.   gloves