Mandates in Healthcare after COVID-19 By. Dr. Mahboob Khan

? Healthcare accreditation standards will be modified after COVID-19 era. More Education to provide as much flexibility as possible in accreditation related matters to infection control, PPE, screening, isolation treatment protocol, handwashing, prevention and regular trainings emphasizing about infection control protocols.

? Technologies that were five years away from adoption have become the new norm. Introduction of robots and thermal scanners are among the host of late stage technologies being instantly embedded into the ecosystem.

? Reconfiguring hospital space, setting up triaging desks, hand-holding hospitals that are finding it difficult to sustain, and re-engineering the business processes are among the changes that are becoming pronounced in healthcare. ? Aerosol generating procedures: nebulization, intubation to be done in full PPE irrespective of patient’s status.

? Hospitals also have to grapple with issues such as infection control protocols and bio-medical waste disposal.

? The disruption that the pandemic wrought has brought frugal engineering to the fore besides accelerating adoption of technology in every working place.

? The extra precautions that the hospital has adopted, including full-suited gas masks to PPEs for all, isolation wards its maintenance and extra staff would mean a 15-20 per cent cost escalation.

? Social distancing, use of Face mask, avoidance of handshake will be new trend. ? Online meetings online doctor consultations, work from home, webinars, less travel, low congregation will be new normal. Grant of more sick leaves and stay at home when ill will be encouraged.

? Cashless payments will be encouraged.

? Academics to focus more on research and utilizing hospital data on studying the prevalence of the disease and educating and notifying new cases.