Bengaluru: Civic officials on Wednesday advised people who test positive for coronavirus to stay put in their homes for at least 12 hours after the diagnosis while they arrange an ambulance and complete formalities. The guidance came amid concerns about the availability of ambulances to take new Covid-19 patients to hospitals.
According to officials of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), a window of 12 to 14 hours, from the time the positive report is uploaded on the website of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), is required before the patient can be brought to the hospital.
As part of the process, a unique patient ID is generated, a hospital bed is identified and teams coordinate with the joint commissioner concerned. Once this is done, an ambulance is sent to the patient’s residence, said Randeep D, special commissioner, BBMP.
“A responsible patient must adhere to the government’s advice and stick to the norms of home quarantine till an ambulance picks them up. The patient must not reach a hospital on their own by hiring a cab,” Randeep told TOI. “After the patient gets a call about the confirmation of Covid-19 positive result, they can call zonal officers concerned and share the home address. BBMP’s ambulance will pick up the patient.”
The civic agency faced an acute shortage of ambulances, but has now deployed 50 vehicles for Covid-19 services. “Each of the eight zones in Bengaluru will have six to seven ambulances ready to ferry patients,” Randeep said.
According to officials of the state health and family welfare department, other districts are also facing ambulance availability issues following an increase in the number of coronavirus infections. “Those who are waiting for an ambulance are mostly asymptomatic patients in home quarantine. Their throat swab sample is collected for testing. The patient does not suddenly become positive after the test report. They already have the infection. Therefore, they should not panic and wait for an ambulance for 10-12 hours,” said Pankaj Kumar Pandey, health commissioner.
He added that people waiting for results in home quarantine were either asymptomatic or had mild symptoms. “All suspected patients with severe symptoms, cases of influenza like illness and severe acute respiratory infection are hospitalised during the testing process itself,” Pandey said.
According to a public-health expert, stigma and fear make patients restless after they get a call from the government about their Covid-19 positivity. “It’s time to understand the gravity of the health emergency being handled by the government and support the system. But for a patient, what matters is meeting a doctor and seeking immediate medical help that can bring a sense of relief. With cases increasing, it will be tough to pick up patients early,” the expert said.
According to another expert, the government officer who makes the calls to the patient should explain everything, so there is no room for panic. “It should be the first call for counselling rather than an announcement that the person is infected. This requires sensitivity among staff members,” said the expert, who works with the government. “Instead of triggering fear with the test report, the focus should be on instilling confidence. However, no such orientation has been given to non-clinical staff working on the ground.”
According to officials of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), a window of 12 to 14 hours, from the time the positive report is uploaded on the website of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), is required before the patient can be brought to the hospital.
As part of the process, a unique patient ID is generated, a hospital bed is identified and teams coordinate with the joint commissioner concerned. Once this is done, an ambulance is sent to the patient’s residence, said Randeep D, special commissioner, BBMP.
“A responsible patient must adhere to the government’s advice and stick to the norms of home quarantine till an ambulance picks them up. The patient must not reach a hospital on their own by hiring a cab,” Randeep told TOI. “After the patient gets a call about the confirmation of Covid-19 positive result, they can call zonal officers concerned and share the home address. BBMP’s ambulance will pick up the patient.”
The civic agency faced an acute shortage of ambulances, but has now deployed 50 vehicles for Covid-19 services. “Each of the eight zones in Bengaluru will have six to seven ambulances ready to ferry patients,” Randeep said.
According to officials of the state health and family welfare department, other districts are also facing ambulance availability issues following an increase in the number of coronavirus infections. “Those who are waiting for an ambulance are mostly asymptomatic patients in home quarantine. Their throat swab sample is collected for testing. The patient does not suddenly become positive after the test report. They already have the infection. Therefore, they should not panic and wait for an ambulance for 10-12 hours,” said Pankaj Kumar Pandey, health commissioner.
He added that people waiting for results in home quarantine were either asymptomatic or had mild symptoms. “All suspected patients with severe symptoms, cases of influenza like illness and severe acute respiratory infection are hospitalised during the testing process itself,” Pandey said.
According to a public-health expert, stigma and fear make patients restless after they get a call from the government about their Covid-19 positivity. “It’s time to understand the gravity of the health emergency being handled by the government and support the system. But for a patient, what matters is meeting a doctor and seeking immediate medical help that can bring a sense of relief. With cases increasing, it will be tough to pick up patients early,” the expert said.
According to another expert, the government officer who makes the calls to the patient should explain everything, so there is no room for panic. “It should be the first call for counselling rather than an announcement that the person is infected. This requires sensitivity among staff members,” said the expert, who works with the government. “Instead of triggering fear with the test report, the focus should be on instilling confidence. However, no such orientation has been given to non-clinical staff working on the ground.”
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