The number of COVID-19 patients admitted at Gandhi Hospital is expected to drop in the coming days as Telangana government is set to implement revised guidelines issued by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Revised guidelines for recording deaths and discharging patients will be adopted too.
It was published in these columns that the State Health department has started to implement ‘Revised Discharge Policy for COVID-19’. Besides, ‘Revised guidelines for home isolation of very mild or pre-symptomatic COVID-19 cases’ was issued by the Union Ministry on May 10. According to that, very mild or pre-symptomatic patients who have requisite facility at their residence for self-isolation will have the option to do so.
Till a few days ago, even asymptomatic patients were admitted at Gandhi Hospital. Health Minister Eatala Rajender said that the State government will implement the revised guidelines for discharging patients, home isolation and recording deaths. This marks a shift in the government’s decision as Mr Rajender on April 28 said that they will not isolate patients at home to avoid the risk of transmission of virus.
Back then, the Minister had said that they will not adopt the discharge policy as some patients from poor families might not have a separate room for home isolation which could spread the virus.
The revised guidelines list out eligibility criteria for home isolation. A few of the conditions are very mild, and pre-symptomatic cases should have the requisite facility at their residence for self-isolation and also for quarantining the family contacts. A care-giver should be available to provide care on 24x7 basis.
“Those who are under such home isolation will be checked twice a day by medical teams. GHMC would provide them with necessary resources,” Mr Rajender said.
Death records
Officials will also implement ‘Guidance for appropriate recording of COVID-19 related deaths in India’, issued by ICMR and National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research. The document details how to record cause and underlying cause of death.
Citing this, the Health Minister said that though a person tests positive for coronavirus, and dies of heart diseases, cancer or other ailments, cause of death will be attributed to long term diseases. A committee will analyse causes of death. Deaths will be declared based on their death audit report.
This is significant as a majority of the COVID-19 patients who died had co-morbid conditions such as hypertension and diabetes.
