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Each year, the fall-winter season presents challenges to health systems, especially due to diseases related to low temperatures. This year, however, The General Directorate of Health warned of the additional challenges caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
In addition to the appearance of seasonal flu and other respiratory infections, DGS Says “Increasing Incidence” of National Pandemic ExpectedTherefore, “it is now essential to prepare the new phase of the health services response for the additional challenges that the coming months will pose”.
Among the measures proposed by the General Directorate of Health is the establishment, at the national level, of “a workgroup answer no Covid-19, formed by elements of each ARS and depending on the Ministry of Health.
That workgroup can “contribute to support solutions and face the challenges identified for autumn-winter, specifically in the assistance response, contributing to the improvement of the quality and safety of the SNS ”.
It will also be the responsibility of workgroup “Define user selection criteria whose monitoring can be ensured, at least partially, through teleconsultation and telemonitoring”.
Isabel Cunha – Antena 1
In your autumn-winter plan, DGS maintains recommendations to reduce the number of contacts between people, physical distance, respiratory label, natural ventilation of spaces, use of personal protective equipment and staying home whenever there are symptoms of Covid-19 disease.
The use of a mask will continue to be mandatory for people over the age of ten in closed public spaces, but DGS also recommends its use “in any open or closed space provided that the minimum physical distance of two meters is not guaranteed.”
To ensure everyone’s safety, the Directorate General of Health also advises the reinforcement of stocks and strategic drug reserve, medical devices, personal protective equipment and laboratory tests in NHS health units.
The answer to the challenges of the next season, therefore, involves three “strategic domains”, each one made up of “concrete actions”:
1. Response to seasonal risk, including Covid-19:
– Strengthen the public health response, especially in outbreak situations;
– Plan vaccination against influenza and Covid-19 as soon as the vaccine is available;
– Adapt the current areas dedicated to Covid-19 in areas dedicated to respiratory patients and hospitalization circuits for different phases of the response;
– Adapt the national laboratory testing strategy for SARS-CoV-2 against the influenza epidemic;
– Strengthen stocks and maintain the strategic reserve of drugs, medical devices, personal protective equipment and laboratory tests;
– Consolidate the intervention plan in residential structures for the elderly;
– Deepen intersectoral actions and coordination with partners.
2. Maintaining the non-Covid-19 response:
– Formalize workgroup answer no Covid-19;
– Maximize the response in primary health care, with face-to-face, non-face-to-face and home care.
– Strengthen proximity responses, including dispensing medicines;
– Maximize the response in hospitals through greater coordination with primary health care, including the referral of non-urgent situations;
– Promote elective and outpatient surgery with preoperative evaluation in a drive-through model;
– Define “Covid-19 free” hospital units;
– Continue the expansion of home hospitalization.
3. Literacy and communication:
– Disseminate and reinforce compliance with prevention and control measures by the entire population;
– Disseminate the measures of the Health Plan for Autumn-Winter 2020-21;
– Encourage the use of the StayAway Covid application;
– Promote contact through SNS24.
The Directorate General of Health highlights that this “is not a closed document and will be subject to a bimonthly review and update, in order to follow the epidemiological evolution” of the country.
The construction of the plan had the collaboration of fifty experts from the areas of health, science and communication, as well as institutions of the Ministry of Health.
