The number of deaths in Delhi has been on a steady decline. On Wednesday, the city reported 11 deaths.
Four panels set up by the Delhi government to review clinical management of patients and deaths at 11 Covid-dedicated hospitals have suggested a series of measures to bring down the mortality rate, in their report submitted to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. In a meeting convened by Kejriwal Wednesday, the committee gave hospital-wise recommendations on following standard operating procedures to five hospitals — Lok Nayak, Safdarjung, GTB, Sir Ganga Ram and Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute — with an aim to improve patient care and reduce mortality rate.
It suggested that Lok Nayak and Safdarjung use the early warning scorecards to ensure prompt detection and shifting of patients from wards to critical areas. It also asked the hospitals to immediately transfer high-risk cases to ICU/HDU if there is an alarming change in inflammatory markers. The Centre-run Safdarjung Hospital has been suggested to increase number of ICU beds in case there is a second wave.
The 1,500-bed GTB hospital has been asked to increase use of convalescent plasma therapy at the early stage of the disease. The hospital had recently started a plasma bank. “Covid wards should be equipped with high-flow nasal oxygen therapy (HFNO)/ BiPAP machines for early intervention. There should be early recognition and transfer of sick patients to the ICU,” suggested the panel.
Sir Ganga Ram Hospital has been advised to ensure early detection of complications in patients on prolonged ventilation to ensure proper management. Sir Balaji Action Medical Institute and Jaipur Golden Hospital have been asked to ramp up use of high flow nasal cannula, to improve patient outcome.
The number of deaths in Delhi has been on a steady decline. On Wednesday, the city reported 11 deaths.
“The CM reiterated on Wednesday that all steps should be taken to bring deaths to zero. During the inspection by committees, it was found that the death rate in these hospitals has decreased as compared to earlier. The CM is personally monitoring all critical Covid patients. Due to his direct intervention, immediate steps have been taken to reduce the rate of deaths. On July 16, a checklist was sent by the Health department to hospitals for Covid patient management, which further helped reduce deaths due to Covid,” said a statement from the CM’s office.
On July 30, the Delhi government had set up four committees of medical specialists to inspect hospitals that reported a large percentage of Covid fatalities, and suggest ways to reduce mortality rate. The committees, comprising four specialists each — two from internal medicine and two from anaesthesia — were constituted to examine if standard protocol wase being followed in treatment of Covid patients.
The hospitals inspected include Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, Max Hospital (Saket), St Stephen’s hospital, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Jaipur Golden Hospital, Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute, Ram Manohar Lohia, Safdarjung, Lok Nayak and GTB.
The city Wednesday reported 1,076 cases, taking the tally to 1,40,232. The death toll is at 4,044.