Private hospitals call for single nodal agency to handle COVID-19 issues

Anticipating what is essentially being touted as a ‘second wave’ seen in lots of components of the world, non-public hospitals and nursing houses are calling for a single nodal agency to streamline dealing with COVID-19 on the State stage. At current, there are too many companies and departments with little coordination amongst themselves, they allege.

Prasanna H.M., president-elect, Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association (PHANA), mentioned hospitals are being made answerable to many companies. “They are unnecessarily troubling us. Different agencies ask us for different data – deaths, admissions, recoveries, number of tests. It has become a nuisance and some of our staff are doing only this through the day,” he mentioned.

He warned that this wants to be set proper earlier than the second wave hits the State. “It’s high time there is one nodal agency responsible because right now, there is no coordination among departments. Now there is a brief respite from a high case load. Before the second wave hits, practical issues should be set right,” he added.

Recently, showcause notices had been issued to seven hospitals by the BBMP below the KPME Act for suspension of licences allegedly for not complying with the route of the civic physique to reserve beds for BBMP-sponsored COVID-19 sufferers. According to the BBMP, hospitals are supposed to reserve 50% of beds in every class i.e., common ward, HDU, ICU and ICU with ventilators.

PHANA president R. Ravindra mentioned within the case of 4 of the hospitals, they’d truly complied with the necessities however had been pulled up due to “communication gap”.

In addition to this, hospitals mentioned they’ve been receiving emails from suspicious wanting IDs searching for information. “Usually, government agency mails come from domains such as .in. We are receiving mails from domains such as Gmail without mentioning designation or anything. We are afraid to share data, and when we try replying seeking identity, the response is invalid ID,” Dr. Ravindra mentioned.

Under these circumstances, a single-point authority could be preferrred, he mentioned. Pointing out that such committees had been fashioned earlier into the pandemic too, he mentioned they failed to bear fruition as they fizzled out after a gathering or two.

The medical fraternity is below loads of psychological and bodily stress. Too many individuals making an attempt to boss over us. Data is with the Health Department, energy is with the BBMP. Inter-department sharing of knowledge shouldn’t be occurring. We are being known as for conferences by the BBMP typically, the DC, the Health Department, and the Chief Secretary. Who goes to handle our issues? In case the scenario worsens, we want clear lower options,” Dr. Ravindra mentioned.