Bhubaneswar, Jul 9 (IANS): The Out Patient Department (OPD) of AIIMS-Bhubaneswar will remain closed from July 10 until further orders, informed Director Gitanjali Batmanabane on Thursday.

The decision was taken after several patients and staff tested COVID-19 positive in past weeks.

"We will be closing our walk-in OPD services from tomorrow. We have taken this decision because many of the patients who are inside our hospital, as well as some of our staff, have tested positive for COVID-19," said the AIIMS director.

Besides, some employees are coming from COVID containment zones, she added.

"In view of the shortage of staffers, we have decided to close the walk-in OPD services," she said.

However, patients can contact doctors through telemedicine services. Besides, a mobile phone application namely 'AIIMS Bhubaneswar Swasthya' will be launched on Friday for the help of patients, said the AIIMS director.

She said that casualty and emergency service, radiotherapy, dialysis and other daycare services will continue.