Government revises national policy for admission of Covid-19 patients: What you need to know

NEW DELHI: The Union ministry of health and family welfare on Saturday revised the national policy for admission of Covid-19 patients to Covid care facilities, as the country reels under a tsunami of coronavirus cases pushing the health infrastructure to the brink.
Here is what you need to know:
* Requirement of a positive test for the Covid-19 virus is not mandatory for admission to a Covid health facility.
* A suspect case of Covid-19 shall be admitted to the suspect ward of Covid Care Center (CCC), Dedicated Covid Health Centre (DCHC), Dedicated Covid Hospital (DCH) as the case may be.
* No patient will be refused services on any count. This includes medications such as oxygen or essential drugs even if the patient belongs to a different city.
* No patient shall be refused admission on the ground that he/she is not able to produce a valid identity card that does not belong to the city where the hospital is located. Admissions to the hospital must be based on need.
* Admissions to hospital must be based on need. It should be ensured that beds are not occupied by persons who do not need hospitalization.
* The discharge should be strictly in accordance with the revised discharge policy.
* The health ministry further advised the chief secretaries of states/union territories to issue necessary orders and circulars, incorporating the above directions within three days.