On Friday, India saw the largest single-day jump in patients testing positive for the coronavirus disease, taking the tally of cases to 226...
On Friday, India saw the largest single-day jump in patients testing positive for the coronavirus disease, taking the tally of cases to 226. The increase in cases has brought to centre stage the question of adequate health infrastructure to treat the patients. But contradictory guidelines issued by states and the Centre caused confusion among private hospitals.
In the evening, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare put out an advisory that said no public or private hospital should turn away a suspected coronavirus patient and admission of such patients should be notified immediately to the government.
“The medical infrastructure in the country needs to be prepared for any possible influx of patients on account of COVID 19,” the advisory said.
However, state health officials Scroll.in spoke to said they were yet to see the advisory.
The Friday directions followed one on March 18 in which the ministry said it was enlisting the private sector in the fight against the coronavirus. This advisory elaborated on the reporting procedures to be followed by the private hospitals to notify coronavirus cases but said little about treatment.
After the March 18 advisory of the central government, many state governments issued their own guidelines for private testing and treatment of coronavirus. The state guidelines, however, did...
