Mumbai: Government Covid order creates confusion among private hospitals

Despite the Covid-19 hospitalisation rate being less than two percent across Mumbai, the state task force has instructed all the private hospitals to reserve wards for Covid patients. However, this instruction has created confusion among the private hospitals.

“Even though the number of Covid-19 cases is rising, very few of them are requiring admission. A majority of these patients are stable and do not require any kind of hospitalization, as they can be managed on an OPD basis or at home,” said Dr Anita Mathew, Infectious Disease Specialist, Fortis Hospital. “We have created ward and ICU set-ups that cater to the current need. If the numbers increase, we would be able to ramp up rapidly,” she added.

Serious patients re-shifted to Seven hills and Kasturba hospital

According to the Covid-19 dashboard of the BMC, out of the 4,349 beds reserved for Covid patients, only 82 were occupied. This counts as a 1.82% bed occupancy. However, only 16-20 are hospitalised in private hospitals. Moreover, 28 patients required oxygen support, of which the private hospital has only two to three patients on oxygen support.

Only serious patients are shifted to Seven Hills or Kasturba Hospitals for further treatment as per the guidelines.

Mumbai has the highest number of active cases in the state

A senior official from the Covid-19 task force said they have been taking a review of Covid-19 across Maharashtra and based on that guidelines are being issued to follow.

Currently, Mumbai has the highest number of active cases in the state and it has always been since the pandemic outbreak.

“Taking a lesson from the past we need to act accordingly to avoid the same mistakes. We all were in the dilemma that Covid has crossed the endemic stage, but there has been a sudden surge in cases due to Omicron sub-lineages for the last two months. So we have instructed all the private hospitals to keep separate wards for Covid patients as now hospitalisation is less but it an increased anytime considering seasonal flu is also on the rise and children, and senior citizens are more affected and might need to be admitted to hospital for treatment,” he said.

Mumbai

Cases 189

Active cases 1021

Maharashtra

Cases 669

Active cases 3,324

Published on: Sunday, April 02, 2023, 12:31 AM IST