Decision to turn nursing homes into Covid facilities reversed

EXPERTS AND NURSING HOME OWNERS ARGUED THAT THE DECISION WOULD HAVE TAKEN AWAY A LOCAL HEALTH CARE LIFELINE

nNEWDELHI: The Delhi government on Sunday scrapped an order within 24 hours of its passage that asked all nursing homes in the city with 10 to 49 beds to start treating Covid-19 patients. The order was withdrawn after it was met with stiff resistance from the medical fraternity. “The competent authority has directed that order… by medical superintendent nursing homes to keepers of all nursing homes… having bed strength between 10 beds to 49 beds declaring them as Covid nursing homes has been withdrawn with immediate effect…” said the Delhi government’s revised order issued on Sunday.

Many of these hospitals with the bare minimum staff are the health care lifeline for local neighbourhoods and by taking it away the government was leaving people with no option for emergency non-covid care during the pandemic, members of the medical fraternity contended.

Most small nursing home owners had found the decision flawed on many counts, and believed it would have worsened the situation.

LACK OF ADEQUATE INFRASTRUCTURE

Smaller private hospitals or nursing homes often have less than 30 beds meant to handle basic health conditions and minor surgeries, with non-availability of doctors, staff and infrastructure to provide specialised medical care. Handling the rush of patients suffering from a virulent pandemic was not possible in a small set-up, said several nursing home owners. Complying with the requirements for treatment of Covid-19 such as separate entry and exit, and proving a triage facility along with overall social distancing norms was not possible with the limited infrastructure that these homes have.

“Most of these hospitals are non-covid hospitals located in residential areas. And not just posing a risk for other patients in the hospital, this move could have also led to the spread of disease, and would have been a big risk factor for community transmission in the long run,” said Dr Naresh Chawla, past president, Delhi Medical Association.

LACK OF ADEQUATE TESTING CAPACITY

None of these small clinics have their own testing labs or investigative tools to quickly ascertain the rapidly changing vital parameters of Covid-19 patients. All of these hospitals would have been outsourcing samples for testing, especially Covid-19 testing, that would have significantly increased the turnaround time for reports. “We are just economically viable as we aren’t big, money-making corporate hospitals, we would have been left with no option but to shut shop,” said a private hospital owner.

LOSS OF OPTIONS FOR NON-COVID PATIENTS

With most big hospitals having been turned into Covid hospitals, the smaller ones are where many patients were turning to for routine medical and emergency care. The presence of Covid-19 patients, most felt, would act as a deterrent for non-covid patients suffering from heart, kidney, or other ailments, and requiring procedures such as gallstone or appendix removal.

There are about 700 nursing homes in the city, most of which have around 20 beds, according to estimates by the DMA. “Where would have the non-covid patients gone since many big hospitals were already treating Covid patients. There should be an option for other patients also. This was not the right move by the Delhi government, and I was sure they would reverse it,” Dr Chawla added.