Delhi govt implements Centre’s revised discharge policy for Covid-19 patients
NEW DELHI: Since the Centre had issued revised discharge policy for COVID-19 patients admitted at various hospitals earlier this week, the Delhi government has also issued guidelines for the discharge of mild, moderate and severe category of such patients in all of its COVID health facilities like COVID care centres, dedicated COVID centres and dedicated COVID hospitals. “Following the Centre’s guidelines, the state government has also issued order of implementation of revised policy,’ it said.
The earlier criteria which were required to be fulfilled for discharging RT-PCR positive patients were chest radiograph has been cleared and two consecutive negative test results on RT-PCR. According to the new discharge policy, the COVID19 patients have been categorised into different subgroups based on the severity of their cases, for easier assessment and discharge. “Only severe patients, including immune compromised HIV, transplant and malignancy patients, would need to test negative once by RT-PCR before discharge,” the policy says.
Patient having very mild, mild and pre-symptomatic symptoms can be discharged after 10 days of symptom onset and after displaying no fever for three days, there is no need for testing prior to discharge. The patient will be advised to follow home isolation for a further seven days after discharge. In case of moderate patients, he or she can be discharged if asymptomatic for three days and after 10 days of symptom onset and there is no need for testing prior to discharge. The patient will be advised to follow home isolation for a further seven days after discharge.
In case of severe report, patient will have to treated till Clinical recovery and the patient tested negative once by RT-PCR (after the resolution of symptoms) will be discharged only.
As far as revised home isolation policy is concerned, COVID-19 patients can end home isolation after 17 days of onset of symptoms or date of sampling and if they have no fever for 10 days without getting tested again for COVID-19. The revised guidelines released this week reiterates that patients, who are pre-symptomatic or have very mild symptoms, can opt for home isolation if they have the requisite self-isolation facility at their residence so as to avoid contact with other family members. The earlier policy had said that very mild or pre-symptomatic COVID-19 patients can stay in home isolation, if they have the requisite facility at their residence. Till the report was filed, there were a total of 1,113 such patients were at home isolation in the Capital city.