Kolkata: Private hospitals start admitting Covid patients with mild symptoms – ET HealthWorld

An acute bed scarcity during the second wave in April-May had forced many hospitals to refuse even severe patients and arrange for home supervision for them.

Peerless Hospital, which now has 31 Covid patients, has seen the number hovering between 25 and 35 since mid-October. The authorities said that it could have dropped below 15 had they refused the mild patients. “Till late-October, we had been preferring the severe patients over those with moderate symptoms since we wanted to keep beds available for the former, expecting a spurt in numbers. Fortunately, it didn’t happen and now we have stopped refusing Covid positives with mild symptoms in case they insist on getting admitted, or if there is a reason to suspect that the condition of the patient may deteriorate,” said Peerless Hospital CEO Sudipta Mitra.

Belle Vue Clinic, too, has been giving mildly symptomatic patients an option between getting treated at home, at the outpatient department (OPD) and admission. “There is a psychological aspect of Covid and it leaves many, especially the elderly and their families, very scared. So, some don’t want to take chances and prefer hospitalization. We are taking them in since there is no bed scarcity now. The rest with mild symptoms prefer home treatment and we offer supervision,” said Belle Vue CEO P Tondon.

The hospital now has 38 Covid beds, including 20 critical care ones, out of which 17 are now occupied. “We are not going to scale down the number of beds now,” added Tondon.

RN Tagore International Institute of Cardiac Sciences (RTIICS) has been advising mild Covid patients to get admitted in case they don’t have proper isolation facilities at home. “Till the post-second wave period, an acute bed crisis had often led us to advise such patients to stay at home. Even now, there is a section of patients who prefer to stay at home with mild symptoms. If the consultant is convinced about a proper isolation facility at their homes for necessary homecare, they are advised the stay at home. Else, they are asked to get admitted at the hospital as lack of proper isolation at home may result in wider spread of the virus,” said RTIICS zonal head R Venkatesh. RTIICS has 22 Covid patients, including seven in critical care.

AMRI Hospitals have been admitting patients with moderate symptoms and comorbidities, many of whom would be refused till October. “In case a patient has even a mild respiratory complaint, we are advising admission. Those with comorbidities like a cardiac ailment, diabetes, or a history of lung diseases, too, are being taken in. A majority of those seeking admission, however, have a severe disease, though their number has dropped sharply,” said AMRI CEO Rupak Barua. AMRI has around 45-50 Covid patients across its three units.

Woodlands Hospital has been asking those with mild Covid symptoms to stay at home. “We offer home care services to them. For patients who are advised monoclonal antibody therapy, visit the hospital, get the infusion and leave within two-and-a-half hours, only when someone does not have necessary isolation facilities at home, we are admitting them,” said Rupali Basu, managing director & CEO, Woodlands Hospital.