16 April,2021 04:27 AM IST | Mumbai | Chetna Sadadekar
Jaslok Hospital has been asked to shift or discharge all non-COVID patients
In the constant race to provide adequate beds for the increasing COVID-19 cases, the civic body issued a circular on Thursday to form linkages between hospitals and 4- and 5-star hotels where patients not needing emergency care would be moved.
Amid the increasing instances of people not requiring hospitalisation or emergency care but occupying beds, especially in private ones, the civic body has issued a circular to keep such patients to nearby 4- or 5-star hotels. As per BMC's circular, it will work with hospitals to identify closely located hotels and form links with them to set up step-down facilities.
Patients who do not require emergency medical intervention, oxygenated, ICU or ventilator beds will be transferred to these step-down facilities. As per the BMC, the move should help treat people in time and reduce the fatality rate. The linked hotel is supposed to have at least around 20 rooms for this purpose and private hospitals will assess the patients' clinical condition regularly. Also, the transfer has to be mandatorily certified by the treating physician.
A civic official said, "There is a huge lag in getting beds for needy patients, especially in private hospitals. It has been observed that many beds in private hospitals are occupied by patients who can be effectively managed at isolation facilities such as CCC-2 or step-down facilities. Thus, we will link various hospitals and hotels where they'll coordinate with each other. Currently, some 4- and 5-star hotels have down the willingness to set up step-down facilities."
The convenience of the hospital and the patient would be factored in and charging the patient would be the responsibility of the hotels. Hospitals may charge Rs 4,000 per room/day including taxes and meals and the amount would have to be paid by the hospitals to the hotels.
Charges for the treatment, including medical expenses, doctors' visits and other incidental expenses, would be taken separately by the hospital from the patients. In case two patients are close relatives willing to share a room, the hospital may charge up to Rs 6,000.
The services to be provided by hospitals include - 24x7 doctor's consultations, nursing care, medicines, biomedical waste management, and ambulance transfers.
The step-down facilities in hotels can only admit patients referred by the linked hospitals. The hotels would also have to establish treatment stations for admitted patients in available areas and resting areas for medical/paramedical staff and provide hospitality catering services to patients. They can charge patients directly for any extra services.
Further, positive asymptomatic patients, too, can avail of the service as walk-ins after a medical assessment by the relevant hospital. Two private hospitals - Bombay Hospital and HN Reliance Hospital in Girgaon - implemented the circular on Thursday. They have linked with Inter-Continental Hotel, Marine Lines and Trident BKC, respectively.
