JOIN USMumbai hotels to function as extension of private hospitals as Covid-19 cases see sharp spike
As Mumbai continues to report 9,000 to 10,000 Covid-19 cases on a daily basis, the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has begun developing a linkage between hospitals and four- and five-star hotels.
The hotels will be used to shift patients who have recovered and where lesser medical intervention is needed.
According to Mumbai’s municipal commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal, the BMC and major private hospitals will identify jointly closely-located four- and five-star hotels and initiate linkage for setting up of step-down facilities between the hospitals and hotels.
“It has been observed that many beds in private hospitals are occupied by patients who do not require emergency medical intervention, such patients can be effectively and adequately managed at isolation facilities such as CCC-2 or step-down facilities,” he said.
The linked hotel must have at least 20 rooms – and the step-down facilities should be an extension of hospitals, he said, adding that round-the-clock medical services have to be provided in these hotels.
Chahal said that if such patients are shifted to step down facilities where minimal medical intervention is required, more number of precious oxygenated/ICU/ventilator beds would be available for needy patients. “This will help initiative treatment in time and reduce fatality rate,” he said.
He said the private hospitals and hotels must have proper understanding of their roles and responsibilities and seamless coordination for smooth functioning.
The hotels should have 24x7 doctor consultations, nursing care, medicines, biomedical waste management and ambulance transfers.
According to the order, the hotels shall charge patients at step-down facilities Rs 4,000 per bed/per day including meals and taxes which the hospitals would pay. The hospitals will charge extra for medical expenses, doctors visits and other incidental charges.