Recovery rate in Vidarbha doubles in 4 days after policy change

Nagpur: As soon as some districts in Vidarbha started implementing the revised discharge policy for Covid-19 patients, the recovery rate in the region has nearly doubled from 21.67% on May 9 to 42.99% on May 13.
The policy was revised by the ministry of health and family welfare on May 8 and it was notified for the states on May 9. While Akola health division has implemented the new discharge policy, Nagpur is yet to take a decision on it.
In Akola health division, covering Amravati, Yavatmal, Akola, Washim and Buldhana districts, total 103 patients have been discharged in three days from May 11 to 13. Many more are on way to recovery. This has improved the recovery rate of Vidarbha significantly.
TOI had reported on Monday that the revised policy can send more than 90% patients home as it allows discharge, on some conditions, to pre-symptomatic patients as well as those having very mild or mild symptoms. In the revised policy, hospitalization period has also been reduced to 10 days, instead of 14 earlier.
“As per the directives of chief secretary (health), we have implemented the revised policy in Akola division. On Wednesday, 41 patients from Akola and 11 from Amravati were discharged,” confirmed Dr Riyaz Faruqui, deputy director (health Services).
In the last three days, 21 patients have been discharged from Yavatmal, 36 from Amravati and highest 46 from Akola. Highest number of patients discharged in a single day in Akola was 41 on May 13.
A senior official from health department in Nagpur division told TOI that the issue of implementing revised discharge policy was discussed through videoconferencing on May 12. But, many officials in Nagpur were of the opinion that patients should be released only after completing 14-day hospitalization.
“In places like Akola and Amravati, Covid wards have limited beds. Moreover, these places have seen significant surge in the number of new patients in last one week. No such situation is in Nagpur. We have enough number of beds in dedicated Covid hospitals. So, we are not in a hurry to send patients home,” said the official. In fact, Nagpur’s both Covid hospitals now house about 200 patients against the capacity of more than 1,000.
As per revised discharge policy, mild, very mild and pre-symptomatic cases will undergo regular temperature and pulse oximetry monitoring and patients can be discharged after 10 days of symptom onset and if they do not have fever for three days. There will be no need for testing prior to discharge, but the patient will have to follow home isolation for further seven days.
Jump In Recovery Rate
Date
Total patients
Discharged
%
May 8
608
117
19.24
May 9
632
137
21.67
May 10
655
185
28.24
May 11
666
201
30.18
May 12
687
247
35.95
May 13
721
310
42.99