THENI
Failure to communicate details of COVID-19 positive patients with the Deputy Director of Health would attract punishment under Section 51 of the Disaster Management Act, Theni Collector H. Krishnanunni said on Sunday. All private hospitals should comply with the government directive on a daily basis with immediate effect.
Following instances of non-reporting or under reporting of the patients for CT chest scan being done in private hospitals and stand alone scan centres, the officials were instructed to monitor the activities.
Details of patients with infection and suspected COVID-19 should be informed to the officials. However, it came to light that some scan centres and private hospitals advised the patients to remain in home isolation. This was illegal and the case of positive patients should be reported to the officials.
Hence, the government had directed all the district heads to monitor the private hospitals and scan centres, officials said.
At a review meeting held here, the Collector told the Health department officials to disseminate this information among the private hospitals and instruct them to share the details of patients on a daily basis by sending them to the DD Health office in a prescribed format, including name, age, sex, address, mobile and scan inference.
By doing so, the government can tackle the pandemic effectively. By zeroing in on the locality and the patients, the spread can be contained. Early diagnosis may help the doctors to save the lives from turning fatal.
Hence, the scan centres and private hospital managers were told to cooperate in fighting the COVID-19 war, Mr. Krishnanunni said and added that Deputy Director (Leprosy) Dr. Rubin and Dr. Shanmugapriya, district epidemiologist, would be the nodal officers.
The scan centres and private hospitals shall mail the details to thn.dist.epi@gmail.com and thenidistricteoc@gmail.com .
