Norms for admitting Covid patients to hospital changed
Hospitals now to directly handle admission
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, May 13 2021:
Admission of Covid patients for treatment will now be handled directly by the hospitals, said an order of the Health Department today.
Notably, this comes amid the surge in the number of deaths due to COVID-19 .
Experts had claimed that the surge in the Covid mortality is caused by late admission of the patients at hospitals.
Earlier, the admission processes were handled by a Government formed committee.
Significantly Thangmeiband AC MLA Kh Joykisan had on May 11 questioned the merit of having the Government formed committee to get Covid patients admitted in hospitals.
Meanwhile, the order of the Health Department also directed hospitals to immediately constitute COVID-19 Admission Committees to ensure that any patient brought to the hospital is attended to promptly.
In addition, the hospitals may establish their own COVID-19 helpline numbers to assist patients and family members, said the order.
Further, clinical guidance for management of adult COVID-19 patients issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on April 22 should be suitably adopted by the hospitals, it said.
The revised clinical guidance said, under emergency use authorization, Remdesivir may be considered for only those patients with moderate to severe diseases requiring supplemental oxygen within 10 days of onset of symptoms.
It said, Remdesivir is not recommended for those with severe renal impairment or hepatic dysfunction.
Remdesivir is not to be used in patients who are not on oxygen support or in home settings.
The guidelines recommended emergency use authorization or off-label use of Tocilizumab drug in case of severe diseases, preferably within 24 to 48 hours of the onset of the disease or ICU admission.
It said, Tocilizumab may be considered in patients with significantly raised inflammatory markers and not improving despite use of steroids with there being no active bacterial or fungal or tubercular infection.
The guidelines recommended off-label use of convalescent plasma only in the early moderate disease, preferably within seven days of symptom onset and only on availability of high titre donor plasma.
It said, upper respiratory tract symptoms or fever without shortness of breath or hypoxia has been categorised as mild disease and people have been advised home isolation and care.
With inputs from AIR .