COVID: Planning to shift stable patients to step down hospitals, says Dy CM

Bengaluru: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister, Dr CN Ashwatha Narayana informed that in order to make hospitalization available to the needy, it has been suggested by the Treatment Protocol Committee to take stricter measures to shift 30-40 per cent of the bed occupants who are non-serious, staying in the hospitals to Covid Care Centers or Step Down Hospitals.

Deputy Chief Minister and state COVID task force head, Dr CN Ashwatha Narayana, addressing presspersons after holding a meeting said, “The patients whose conditions improve and become stable after the initial days of treatment need not continue to stay there for 14 days or so. Normally, the condition of the infected becomes stable after 4-5 days of treatment and then they should be shifted to CCC’s or Step Down Hospitals. This will be applicable for patients both in the government and private hospitals.”

He said, more number of infected are getting admitted to hospitals even when it is not necessary, and added, the committee has decided to put a check on this also.

“Hospitalization is necessary only for those whose oxygen saturation dips below 90. To avoid unnecessary hospitalization triaging of the infected in fever clinics will be augmented. For those who are not able to go to fever clinics, the health staff will be sent to the homes of the infected to conduct triaging”, Narayana said.

He said, “Auditing, quality maintenance, and monitoring is necessary in every hospital to facilitate quality treatment and added this will be implemented immediately”.

Since a large number of infected are undergoing home isolation, follow-up of these infected will be given importance. Teleconsultation and testing of primary contacts of home isolated will be given prominence, the Deputy Chief Minister said.

The supply of anti-viral drug Remdesivir for the state will be increased to 37,000 vials per day starting from May 11, the task force head informed.

The Central government has increased the allotment of Remdesivir for the state to 2,62,000 dozes for a period of seven days. Hence, every day 37,000 vials will be available, he added.