With private hospitals consenting to part with 50% of their total beds, the Dharwad district administration has announced that treatment for COVID-19 patients would begin in private hospitals on Friday.
Chairing a District Health Task Force meeting and also of private hospital managements in Dharwad on Thursday, Dharwad Deputy Commissioner Nitesh Patil said that private hospitals registered under Ayushman Bharat Arogya Karnataka Scheme had agreed to part with 50 % of their beds for treating COVID-19 patients.
“As private hospitals have handed over 50 % of their beds to the district administration, it has been decided to provide treatment to patients of the pandemic in these hospitals and the process will start on Friday,” he said.
Mr. Patil said that 18 hospitals that had been identified for COVID-19 treatment had provided details of the number of beds, ICU and ventilator facilities available with them and 50 % of these facilities would be utilised to treat COVID-19 patients.
The Deputy Commissioner said that symptomatic patients and those with fever would be admitted to private hospitals. “Private hospitals should admit patients referred by the district administration and treat them under Ayushman Bharat Arogya Karnataka Scheme. If patients come directly to them, then the cost should be borne by patients,” he said.
He said that private hospital staff would be given training at the Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) on the mode of treatment and protocol to be followed in the case of COVID-19-related deaths.
Chief Executive Officer of Zilla Panchayat B.C. Sateesh asked private hospital managements to join hands with the government in the fight against coronavirus and said that based on symptoms, patients would be sent to COVID-19 hospitals and COVID-19 Care Centres.
Medical Superintendent of KIMS Arun Kumar told the meeting that treatment for patients from other districts would be given at KIMS only if there were no beds available in their districts. “Only patients with letter from the designated hospital or the district hospital facing shortage of beds will be admitted at KIMS. A communication will be sent to medical colleges and authorities of neighbouring districts,” he said.
Hubballi Dharwad Police Commissioner R. Dileep, Additional Deputy Commissioner Shivanand Karale, District Health and Family Welfare Officer Yashwanth Madeenkar and others were present.