Delhi: Private COVID hospitals await clearer instructions on non-COVID treatment

New Delhi: A day after the Delhi government declared 14 private hospitals as "full COVID-19" facilities, these health centres on Tuesday were trying to accommodate existing non-COVID patients for the lack of clearer instructions.

The Delhi government directed these 14 hospitals not to admit any non-COVID patients till further orders.

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These included Indraprastha Apollo Hospital in Sarita Vihar, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Holy Family Hospital, Max SS Hospital and Fortis Hospital in Shalimar Bagh.

Awaiting clarification from the Delhi government, a senior official of the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital said that patients with prior appointments will be examined in the private OPDs.

"We are waiting to get clarification from the Delhi government regarding management of emergency and casualty, non-COVID patients. At present, patients with prior appointments will be examined in the private OPD with full precautions. No day care, and elective surgeries will be permitted till further orders," the senior official of SGRH said.

He added that patients reporting to the casualty department and those who need ICU admission will also be taken up.

While they were exploring ways to implement the government's order, medical director of Max Super Speciality Hospital Dr K K Trehan said that they were trying to cause minimum inconvenience to the existing patients.

"We are exploring ways to implement the Delhi government orders at the earliest, keeping in mind that it causes minimum inconvenience to our existing non-COVID patients. We are hopeful that minor operational issues would get ironed out soon," Trehan told PTI.

Fortis Hospital Shalimar Bagh was also waiting for official guidelines on how to continue essential non-COVID services.

"We are awaiting guidelines on how to continue essential non-COVID services, handle emergency patients as well as how best to continue the treatment of patients already being treated for life threatening diseases such as cancer, end-stage renal failure and others," a statement from the hospital said. The Delhi government has also directed 19 private hospitals to reserve at least 80 per cent of their ICU beds for COVID-related treatment.

Eighty-two private hospitals have been asked to set aside at least 60 per cent of their ICU beds for coronavirus patients, according to the order issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). 

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