Bengaluru: The Bengaluru civic agency, BBMP has made COVID-19 tests mandatory in private hospitals for all those coming with Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) and Influenza Like Illness (ILI) in the city, reported news agencies on Monday. “All the SARI, ILI patients coming to OPD in private hospitals in BBMP limits should be tested for COVID-19 compulsorily and other patients also could be advised to undergo the same if needed,” the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Special Commissioner Dr Trilok Chandra was quoted as saying in a statement.
Addressing a meeting with the Private Hospitals and Nursing Home Association (PHANA) and more than 100 Private Hospitals, he said precautionary measures should be taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the city. The officer asked the hospitals to make sure that everyone visiting the hospital have been inoculated against coronavirus. If someone has taken only the first dose of the vaccine, the hospitals should make them take the second dose.
Dr Chandra assured the representatives of PHANA that the COVID-19 cases in the city were stable. Yet, as a precautionary measure and considering the Omicron threat, the private hospitals should be ready to reserve beds for COVID patients including separate pediatric beds. He also insisted that the information about real-time bed availability should be uploaded consistently in PHANA portal. All the necessary measures should be taken to ensure proper availability of oxygen, he told the representatives of PHANA.
(With inputs from agencies)
