BBMP sorting Covid-19 patients based on symptoms

Following reports that hospitals treating Covid-19 patients are falling short of beds, the BBMP has begun segregating patients based on their condition.

BBMP Commissioner B H Anil Kumar said the civic body was revising the protocol that earlier allowed Covid-19 patients to be taken directly to hospitals and lodged in different wards after an assessment of their conditions. As per the revised protocol, officials will visit the patient’s house and assess their symptoms. The patient will be sent to care centres or hospitals based on the assessment.

While asymptomatic patients will be accommodated at Covid-19 Care Centres, those with cold, fever/cough will be sent to Dedicated Covid Health Centres. Critical Covid-19 patients will be admitted to Dedicated Covid Hospitals.

On complaints that BBMP and health officials take nearly 24 hours to shift patients to hospitals, Kumar admitted there was a shortage of ambulances.

"On Wednesday, 50 ambulances were deployed and 50 more would be deployed from Friday onwards. If the cases increase, the number will go up to 250 depending on the increase of cases in the city. It is decided that Covid-19 patients should be shifted to care centres or hospitals within six hours," he added.

The BBMP has turned Haj Bhavan and Ayurveda Hospital of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Hospital into Covid care centres with 830 beds. Seven hotels have also been turned into care centres with 1,300 beds, Kumar said. The civic body would arrange for 3,000 beds in future, he said.