From the new triaging protocol to the deployment of 10,000 medicos for tele-tracing, the state is trying to keep the situation under control.
However, technical glitches have hit the triaging process, resulting in thousands of patients being left on the government’s waiting list. Triaging is important as the course of treatment – home isolation or hospitalization – is decided after examining patients at triaging centers.
As of 4 pm on Sunday, 55,306 patients were on the waiting list. This is because the heir cases are yet to be confirmed by the respective District Surveillance Officers (DSOs). The waiting list is dynamic and approval was pending for f or only 33,000 a week ago.
Of the total such cases on Sunday, Bengaluru alone has 41,024 on the waiting list, followed by Mysore, Tumakuru, Dharwad and Mandya. Of the total pending cases in these five districts, 47,961 or 87 per cent of the cases are pending.
However, officials reiterated that the facility has not been denied to any patient requiring medical treatment due to this problem. “Such matters have been dealt with on priority basis. But the issue needs to be addressed,” said a senior health official.
A senior official of the State Surveillance Unit (SSU) in the Department of Health and Family Welfare said: “After testing laboratories generate a COVID-19 positive report, the DSO should acknowledge them and say that the patient is indeed their respective of the districts. It is only after doing this that other processes like triaging and healing begin. ,
The official, who is also a doctor, said the delay in approval of DSOs is due to technical glitches in the particular portal, which they use to give such clearances. Health Commissioner Randeep D said, “The issue has been brought to my notice and we are in the process of addressing it.”
The official said that earlier, the DSOs had direct access to the ICMR portal. However, this access was withdrawn after a second wave of infections. Randeep said that the health department is working on restoring access to the ICMR portal.
“It would be nice to give them access. While the ICMR portal was not the place for them to give their approval, it certainly helped them get an overall picture on the pandemic situation in their districts and they could see what challenges needed to be addressed,” said SSU said the officer. Triaging has been a key tool in the state’s strategy to tackle the pandemic, as it enables authorities to prevent people from unnecessarily occupying beds reserved for COVID-19 patients, as well as between patients. Also removes fear.
Noting that the new variant of SARS-CoV2, Omicron is causing only mild infection and most of the patients are asymptomatic, the government has also appealed to the people not to panic. Health Minister K Sudhakar had said on Saturday that many people want to be hospitalized as they panic even if they are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms.
Emphasizing that proper counseling will help reduce the unnecessary burden on the health infrastructure in the state, Sudhakar said: “We have a process in place to regularly monitor the health of those in home isolation. We are accessing the services of around 10,000 medical, dental and AYUSH students. Around 500 experts are supporting this system. Around 1.3 crore tele-consultations including 42.6 lakh doctor consultations were conducted during the second wave. ,
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