Covid patients discharged early to free up more beds

Coimbatore: The hospitals and Covid care centres in the district have reduced the hospitalization duration for asymptomatic Covid-19 patients and those with mild symptoms in line with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)’s revised discharge policy to make beds available for patients who really need them.
Now, asymptomatic patients are discharged as early as six days into their hospitalization that too without subjecting them for a second test for a negative certificate. Those with mild and moderate symptoms could be sent home 10 days after the onset of symptoms if they don’t have any symptoms.
In April and May, even asymptomatic patients were hospitalized for at least 12 days. They had to take Covid-19 test for a negative certificate to get discharged.
District collector K Rajamani, who was mildly symptomatic, was discharged on the sixth day of hospitalization last week. MLA Amman Arjunan was also discharged in a week. Sources said asymptomatic patients in Covid care centres too were sent home after seven days with an advice to remain in home quarantine for another 14 days. The asymptomatic and those with mild symptoms are also not made to undergo the test again for a negative certificate.
While deputy director of public health Dr G Ramesh Kumar has been insisting on keeping all patients in the district in institutional quarantine for at least 10 days, officials say it is a conscious policy decision to reserve hospital beds, including those in private hospitals, for only those who really need them. “We now keep asymptomatic patients only for seven days to ensure new symptoms are not developing. This is the new ICMR protocol and guideline,” says Dr Murali, of PSG Hospitals, which is treating around 280 Covid-19 patients. They have allotted 520 beds for the purpose.
The situation is similar in other districts too. In Trichy, the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital keeps patients with even cough and fever only for a maximum of seven days. In Madurai, all asymptomatic patients are discharged in a week. Chennai had begun discharging symptomatic patients in the risk age group after five days of hospitalization, when cases peaked in June.
With Covid-19 cases surging in the district, public health officers say, this is the accepted way to use resources better. Dr P Kolandaisamy, former director of public health, said, “Across the world, when beds are likely to become short, people are even recommending complete home quarantine for asymptomatic patients. So, in five days, if the patient develops no symptoms, we can send them home, carefully monitor their quarantine and ask them to take care of their health.”
If patients develop any symptoms while in home quarantine, they are asked to return to hospitals or inform the 1077 helpline immediately for guidance.