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Bengaluru, Jun 20: The Karnataka Health Department has issued guidelines on the admission of COVID-19 patients in private hospitals after clinical assessment, mandating that the district surveillance officer (DSO) should be first informed to initiate further procedures, an official said on Friday.

"A health team sent by the DSO should visit the home or hospital where the patient is staying. The team should conduct a rapid assessment of his or her health condition," said Karnataka's Additional Chief Secretary Jawaid Akhtar.

In the rapid health condition assessment, the team should first check the patient's body temperature, followed by SpO2 (oxygen saturation) level and confirm if there are any comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes, tuberculosis, HIV, cancer, stroke etc.

Depending on the health condition of patients, Akhtar said, two categories have been made.

"Those who have body temperature greater than 37.5 degrees Celsius, SpO2 level below 94 percent, elderly (above 60 years) and suffering from known comorbid conditions should be taken to a dedicated Covid hospital (DCH)," he said.

"All other patients, even if older but not suffering from co-morbidities, those below 60 and suffering from co-morbidities and asymptomatic cases should be taken to a dedicated Covid health centre (DCHC) or a private hospital as opted by the patient," he added.

Private hospitals have been asked to pitch in due to the rising number of cases in Karnataka. Currently, there are 2943 active cases in the state after 337 cases were reported on Friday.

"The patients are assessed clinically and evaluated at DCHCs or private hospitals with appropriate diagnostic tests. After evaluation, if the patients are asymptomatic, they are shifted to a COVID Care Centre (CCC) for further management," said Akhtar.

CCCs are expected to be equipped with ventilated rooms, pulse oximeters, handheld thermal scanners and blood pressure apparatus.

A nurse has to be present round the clock for every 50 patients and should visit each patient twice a day for assessment whereas the medical officer has to visit the CCC once a day. He should also be available on call in case of an emergency.

Staff serving food and others should wear personal protective equipment and an N-95 mask. Explaining the procedures at DCHCs, Akhtar said general examinations for medical conditions like body temperature, BP, pulse, oxygen saturation and urine output should be in place.

Investigations such as complete blood count, fasting blood sugar, random blood sugar, liver function tests, renal function tests, ECG and chest X-ray facilities should be available.

"DCHCs should ensure that above examinations are over in an orderly timeline of 24 hours and depending on the examination, the patient is continued to be lodged at the DCHC or sent to DCH or CCC," said the senior officer.

Likewise, the discharge policy should be done as per the protocols issued by the Health Department from time to time.

The Karnataka government is yet to fix an upper limit on the cost of treating COVID-19 patients in private hospitals. While reports indicated that this could be capped at Rs 5200 per day, health officials are yet to specify this is the case. Private hospitals in the state have asked the government to take a collaborative approach in deciding the fixed cap on treatment cost.

Mangaluru/ Udupi, Jul 20: Dakshina Kannada has recorded 89 new covid-19 cases and five deaths whereas as Udupi recorded 98 cases in past 24 hours. 

Dakshina Kannada 

With five new deaths, the covid-19 death toll in the district mounted to 82. Among the five deceased, two are from Mangaluru taluk, one from Beltangady taluk, one from Bantwal taluk and one from Chikkamangaluru district. The deceased include a 2 month old child (from Bantwal). 

Out of the 89 cases, eleven persons had contracted the disease from primary contacts. Two persons had returned from the Gulf. Forty-five persons are suffering from influenza-like illness (ILI), and sixteen persons are suffering from Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI). The health officials are tracing the contacts of fifteen others.

Meanwhile, 57 persons were also discharged from the hospital after complete recovery.

Udupi

With 98 new covid-19 cases, the total number of cases in the district today mounted to 2,321. Among them only 661 are currently active. 

1650 patients have been discharged from the hospital after complete recovery, and 11 persons have succumbed to COVID-19 in the district.

As of now, 213 throat swab samples are pending for results, 54 samples were sent for testing on July 20. On Sunday, July 20, 251 samples have tested negative. As of now, a total of 22357 swab samples out of the 24891 have tested negative for the coronavirus.