PANJIM: As Supreme Court pulls up State governments across country over denial of hospital admissions to several patients, including those requiring critical care on various grounds, the State government has directed that no patient would be denied admission or aid in any medical facility for want of COVID-19 RTPCR certificate or ID proof.
Additional Secretary Health Vikas Gaunekar in an order issued has also said that the admission to the hospital must be based on need and considering the scarcity of beds.
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The government has warned of penal action under Epidemic Diseases Act, if any hospital is found violating the directions.
The order is been issued with reference to the Supreme Court’s suo motu wherein it has been observed that as the RTPCR COVID-19 testing facilities are overwhelmed and test results are taking inordinate long time and at time, the results are inaccurate, in such circumstances, the patients are refused service on various grounds.
“Some patients are denied admissions for lack of valid ID card and place of residence,” Gaunekar said in the order.
Under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1987, the government has said that no patient requiring critical care or emergency service shall be turned away or denied service or admission in any hospital for want of RTPCR certificate.
It has also asked the hospitals not to deny medical service or admission to any patient for want of ID proof or for the fact that he or she is not a resident of the city or State where the hospital is located.
The government has said that only need based patients shall be admitted in hospital after proper clinical assessment by medical experts.
Meanwhile, the Union Ministry for Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) in a revised national policy for admission of COVID-19 patients to the hospitals has said that certificate confirming the Coronavirus infection is no longer mandatory for admission of patients to the COVID-dedicated medical facilities.
“Requirement of a positive test for COVID-19 virus is not mandatory for admission to a COVID health facility. A suspect case shall be admitted to the suspect ward of CCC (COVID Care Center), DCHC (Dedicated COVID Health Centre) or DHC (Dedicated COVID Hospital) as the case may be,” said a statement issued by the Health Ministry.
