Hubballi: Private hospitals do not have to treat Covid-19 cases for now, says Dharwad DC

DHARWAD: Heaping praise on private hospitals for the role they are playing in a time of national crisis, Dharwad deputy commissioner Deepa Cholan on Wednesday asked them to extend their wholehearted support to the government to contain the spread of novel coronavirus or Covid-19.
Deepa, who chaired a meeting of the health task force at the DC’s office in Dharwad, said that private hospitals must not tarry in communicating with the district health department, and ensure that protocol laid down by the government is followed to the letter.
All hospital authorities were directed to inquire and collect information related to the itinerary of patients seeking treatment for problems that were identified as symptoms of Covid-19. “Those who test positive for novel coronavirus will be provided treatment at a separate ward at the Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) in Hubballi, where we have made all the necessary arrangements to provide treatment to them,” said the Dharwad DC.
She said that private hospitals would not have to offer treatment in the eventuality of people in the district testing positive for Covid-19. “Ayush doctors too have been barred from offering treatment to victims. They can, of course, offer advice to the people, but they must refer patients to the health department, from where they will subsequently be referred to KIMS for further treatment,” Deepa added.
Do not visit hospital
Deepa appealed to the people not to visit hospitals at the drop of a hat. “Do not visit hospitals for small ailments. Only those suffering from high fever and more serious troubles must go. Patients paying a second visit to the hospital for a follow-up session or those visiting the dentist, must avoid flooding the hospital for the next two weeks. Measures are being taken to contain crowd in hospitals. A decision has been taken by the department of medical education too,” she added.
Information from bus operators
Bus operators must provide information on suspected cases. “Those who travelled by bus to Bengaluru or other regions in the state where Covid-19 cases have been reported from, details of these passengers must be relayed to the Dharwad district administration,” said Deepa, adding that getting information on the itinerary of foreign tourists would not be difficult since most of them would have booked tickets online.