Shillong, Apr 3 (PTI) A premier hospital of Shillong has decided that it will admit non-COVID19 cases from other states only if they are critically ill and certified so by the health authorities of the patients' states, an official said on Friday.

This is part of a precautionary protocol adopted by the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS), an autonomous institute under the Union ministry of health and family welfare.

The protocol, drawn up following a direction from the state government on Thursday, will be in force until the COVID-19 pandemic is over, NEIGRIHMS Director D M Thappa said.

"Only critically ill non-COVID19 patient certified by the state health authorities concerned can seek treatment at the NEIGRIHMS and only one attendant will be allowed to accompany the patient. But such person will have to be quarantined for 14 days as per government directives," Thappa said.

Governments of all the states of the Northeastern region Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim - were informed of the protocol, Chief Secretary M S Rao said.

The NEIGRIHMS attracts a number of patients from other states of the Northeastern region.

Meghalaya has not reported any confirmed case of COVID-19 so far but the state government is taking safeguards against the deadly virus spread by implementing 21-day nationwide lockdown, Chief Minister Conrad K informed Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a video conference on COVID-19 situation on Thursday.

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