A day after Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray appointed a task force to recommend a management protocol for serious COVID-19 patients in critical care hospitals, the Health Department on Tuesday set up two committees to analyse the deaths of patients and measures to reduce fatalities.
While one committee will concentrate on Mumbai, the other will focus on rest of Maharashtra.
According to Health Minister Rajesh Tope, in the case of death of a COVID-19 patient, the chief of the hospital will provide information on the patient’s treatment, medical history and other details to the committee via video conferencing. Principal Secretary (Helath) Pradeep Vyas, has communicated this to all district collectors, municipal commissioners and district medical chiefs.
A seven-member committee will look specifically in cases in and around Mumbai since the number is high here. “The committee will analyse the reasons behind the deaths due to corona and based on that measures could be suggested to reduce the number of deaths,” said Mr. Tope.
Former dean of KEM Hospital, Dr. Avinash Supe will head the committee for Mumbai with Dr. Milind Nadkar from KEM, Dr. Nitin Karnik (Sion Hospital), Dr. Chhaya Rajguru, Dr. Vidya Nagar (J J Hospital), and former director-general of health department Dr. Subhash Salunkhe as members. Health director Dr. Sadhana Tayade will be the member secretary.
The committee for the State would be led by Dr. Tayade, with former health director Dr. P.P. Doke, Dr. A.L. Kakrani, Dr. Dilip Kadam, Dr. Shashikala Sangle, and Dr. Nitin Ambadekar as members.
On Monday, Mr. Thackeray announced a task force of specialist doctors to be chaired by Dr. Sanjay Oak. It includes a number of specialist doctors from the private sector, including Dr. Zahir Udwadia (Hinduja Hospital), Dr. Santoshi Nagvekar (Lilavati Hospital), Dr. Kedar Toraskar (Wockhardt Hospital), Dr. Rahul Pandit (Fortis Hospital), Dr. Nitin Karnik (Sion Hospital), Dr. Zahir Virani (Hinduja), and Dr. Om Srivastava (Kasturba, Jaslok). Dr. Praveen Bangar (KEM) will be the convener.
The specialised critical care hospitals are Dr. Bulabhai Nanavati Hospital, St. George Hospital, Saifee Hospital, Wockhardt Hospital, Hindu Hriday Samrat Balasahaeb Thackeray Hospital, and SevenHills hospital.
This task force will establish a patients management protocol for serious and critically ill patients. It will recommend the requirement of specialist doctors and health care support staff in the critical care hospitals, suitable drug protocol to maintain uniformity in treating critically-ill patients, and recommend criteria and logistics requirement to transfer critical patients.
