Maharashtra: State issues strict directives to hospitals treating COVID-19 patients

The number of covid-19 patients in Maharashtra is rapidly increasing. In order to curb the spread of the disease the state government on Thursday issued strict guidelines to all hospitals regarding treatment of COVID-19 patients.

The guideline of the state has ordered the hospitals that all asymptomatic patients without comorbidity should be shifted to a safe COVID care centres immediately, and COVID and non-COVID hospitals should ensure that no admissions are granted to asymptomatic positive patients without comorbidity.

Similarly, as pe the centre's guideline, the private hospitals should stamp the patients and sent them for home quarantine after proper counselling.

The directives also said that hospitals should collect swabs on top priority basis of all the suspected COVID patients and make sure reports are collected within 12 hours. Hospitals should also ensure that patients are triaged as per the clinical conditions and shifted to CCC, dedicated COVID health centre or dedicated COVID hospitals.

If a COVID positive patient passes away then the hospital authorities should make sure that the dead body is shifted from ward within 30 minutes of death and should dispose body within 12 hours.

Disaster Management Department should manage the mobilisation of the ambulances within Mumbai city limits.

The Directors of Health services should prepare SOP for screening, transferring, admitting and discharging patient.

Unique ID should be provided to each patient who require hospital admission by the on-site team of the BMC's disaster management department, without the ID admission will not be granted.

These orders will come in to force from 10 a.m. of May 2, 2020.