Bengaluru: 66 medical colleges, hospitals will screen ILI and SARI cases

BENGALURU: In view of the steady increase in the number of Influenza Like Illness (ILIs) and Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI ) cases turning positive for Covid-19 in Bengaluru city, the state government has instructed 66 private medical colleges and private hospitals to work as fever clinics-cum-swab-collection centres.
They have been told to triage ILI and SARI cases to identify Covid-19 suspects, swab them as per the testing policy of the state government and make the swabs available for transportation to labs identified by the government.
The transportation of swabs to designated labs will be arranged by the task leader for testing in BBMP area. The institution will collect their regular OPD charges for triaging and a maximum of Rs 350 for each swab from the patient. The tests, however, will be conducted at government’s cost.
The state has over 600 fever clinics and more than l,l72 swab-collection centres to screen patients and collect swab sample in case a person is suspected of Covid-l9. In Bengaluru city,various urban public health centres have been converted into fever clinics. Already 52 governmentmanaged fever clinics-cumswab-collection centres are functional.