Covid-19: Hospital stay must even for those with mild symptoms in Karnataka

BENGALURU: Covid-19-infected patients with mild symptoms cannot opt for home treatment instead of hospitalisation, at least for now, in Karnataka.

“We have sufficient availability of beds and we do not feel the necessity to allow home treatment,” additional chief secretary (health) Jawaid Akhtar said.

The central government had earlier this month allowed states to treat those with mild symptoms at home. This was done to reduce the burden on hospitals and ensure that severely ill patients were treated first. The state, which has seen only about 959 positive cases till Wednesday, has however decided to continue treating all Covid-19 patients in hospitals.


Akhtar said the state will also not do away with exit testing.

The central government had in a separate circular also allowed hospitals to discharge Covid-19-infected patients without undergoing exit tests, after 10 days of hospital stay. This was applicable if the patient did not need oxygen or showed no symptoms.

“We do not feel it necessary to cut the testing,” Akhtar said.

On Wednesday, the state decided to exempt four categories of international returnees from institutional quarantine.

Pregnant women, children under the age of 10, senior citizens over 80 and terminally-ill patients will be allowed home isolation if they test negative on arrival. Covid-19 spokesperson and education minister S Suresh Kumar said the government will consider exempting these four categories if they return from other states.

DIRECTION TO PRIVATE HOSPITALS
Following complaints against private hospitals for refusing to treat other patients, medical education minister Dr K Sudhakar held a meeting with medical practitioners and hospital managements on Wednesday.

Minister Suresh Kumar said that the government has directed private hospitals to function as usual from Thursday and ensure that no patient is denied treatment. “We have told them not to ask for Covid-19 test reports from patients visiting hospitals. They can inform the health department in case a person with Covid-19 symptoms visits the hospital,” Kumar said.