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The Health Ministry has written to all Central Ministries & PSUs under them to set up exclusive dedicated hospitals or separate blocks within the hospitals for Covid care to support the efforts being made by States and Union Territories.
“....request you to issue instructions to the hospitals under the control of your departments/PSUs to set-up exclusive dedicated hospitals or separate blocks within the hospitals (both for OPD as well as IPD care) for Covid Care, as done last year,” Rajesh Bhushan, Health Secretary, wrote in a letter to his colleagues in various Ministries and Departments including Defence, Railways, Coal, Steel, Shipping, Home Affairs, Labour, AYUSH, Atomic Energy, Heavy Industry, Power and Education on Friday.
These hospitals/blocks should have separate entry and exit points for the management of Covid-19 cases to provide treatment services including specialised care for the confirmed cases, it said. These should also be equipped to provide all supportive and ancillary services including oxygen supported beds, ICU beds, ventilators and specialised Critical Care Units (wherever available), laboratory services, imaging services, kitchen, laundry etc along with dedicated health work-force.
The Health Secretary emphasised that the country was facing a second surge of the Covid-19 pandemic and to strengthen the efforts of States/UTs to effectively prepare their health systems to manage this pandemic, the Government of India is following a comprehensive response with a `Whole of Government’ approach. As part of this response, several Ministries and the Empowered Groups are working in tandem to manage the situation effectively and to provide all required support to the States/UTs that are at fore-front of handling this pandemic, the letter added.
Bhushan said that there was a need to earmark and prepare immediately the maximum possible dedicated hospitals/blocks for Covid-19 case management. “I also request that the details of such dedicated hospitals/blocks are provided to the public, duly coordinating with the respective health departments of States/UTs and the District Health Administration of the States Districts wherever these hospitals are located, so that the public may avail the required treatment at these hospitals / blocks,” the letter added.
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