Centre revises policy on patient admission in hospitals: 'COVID+ve report not mandatory'

In a dramatic shift of policy, Union Health Ministry on Saturday, announced that the requirement of a positive test for COVID-19 virus is not mandatory for admission to a COVID health facility. This move will stop hospitals from refusing admission to critical patients based on the non-availability of COVID-19 test reports. India currently has 37,23,446 active COVID cases, 1,79,30,960 recovered cases and 2,38,270 fatalities.

Centre changes patient admission policy

This comes a week after the SC asked the Centre if it intends to formulate a national policy to serve as admission guidelines for all hospitals in India. SC bench comprising of Justices D. Y. Chandrachud, L. Nageswara Rao and Ravindra Bhat also asked if the medical community, states/UTs and other stakeholders have been consulted in the framing of the policy. Currently, rules in various states vary for admission of COVID patients with some demanding an SDM's assent, CMO's referral etc.

SC takes suo-moto cognizance

Amid atleast five high courts (Delhi, Allahabad, Bombay, Madras, Karnataka) hearing matters regarding oxygen supply, Remdesivir scarcity, bed shortage, vaccination, SC issued notices to the Centre, states and parties who have approached the HCs to show cause why the apex court cannot pass uniform orders on supply of oxygen, essential drugs, method and manner of vaccination and declaration of lockdown. The bench comprising of then-CJI SA Bobde, Justices L Nageswara Rao and S Ravindra Bhat asked the Union government to present a national plan for dealing with essential services and supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Later on Sunday, the SC ordered that the Central Government shall, in collaboration with the States, prepare a buffer stock of oxygen for emergency purposes and decentralize the location of the emergency stocks.

India's oxygen & vaccine shortage

Currently, India is grappling with acute oxygen supply with Delhi being hit the worst - several hospitals have moved the High Court seeking oxygen supply. While the Centre and Delhi govt have blamed each other for the ongoing oxygen crisis in the national capital, Railways has started 'Oxygen Express'  to transport liquid oxygen to the states via green corridors. These trains have already begun to arrive at UP, Maharashtra, Andhra from Odisha, Jharkhand and others. Delhi, which has increased its demand to 900 MT oxygen per day has been allotted only 480 MT by Centre. SC has ordered the Centre to maintain a daily supply of 700 MT to Delhi.

Meanwhile, India's vaccination drive has hit a roadblock due to shortage of supplies. On April 19, relaxed the age bar for vaccination from May 1 onwards allowing 18+ to be vaccinated, and states to procure doses from manufacturers directly and approved an advance payment of Rs 4,567.50 crores to Serum Institute of India (SII) & Bharat Biotech (BBL) to ramp up vaccine production. Soon enough, most state governments placed lakhs of orders with the two vaccine manufacturers, but are yet to receive their orders.