Health Ministry advises Central Ministries, PSUs to keep hospital beds for COVID patients

New Delhi, April 16, 2021

The Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare today advised all Central Ministries and public sector undertakings (PSUs) to issue instructions to the hospitals under their control to set up dedicated hospital wards or separate blocks within the hospitals for COVID care, as was done last year during the pandemic outbreak.

Several States and UTs across the country have been reporting a surge since the past few weeks in the cases and deaths caused by COVID-19.

The Union Government has adopted a collaborative strategy of proactively supporting the States in COVID management and public health response measures, an official press release said.

As part of this response, several Ministries, Empowered Groups and others were working in tandem to manage the situation effectively and to provide all required support to the States and Union Territories (UTs), it said.

A significant measure is to substantially augment the hospital infrastructure for effective clinical management of severe COVID-19 patients across the country. These Hospitals/Blocks should have separate entry and exit points for the management of COVID19 cases, to provide treatment services including specialised care for the confirmed COVID19 cases.

Additionally, these dedicated hospital wards or blocks have to be equipped to provide all supportive and ancillary services including Oxygen supported beds, ICU beds, ventilators and specialised Critical Care Units (wherever available), laboratory services, imaging services, kitchen, laundry etc., along with a dedicated health workforce.

In the letter written to the Central Ministries, the Union Health Secretary had reiterated that the present situation of the sudden surge in the COVID cases across the country calls for similar supportive action as last year from all such Central Ministries/Departments and their PSUs as also the hospitals under their control.

For the public to avail of the required treatment at these hospital wards/blocks, the Central Ministries have been also been advised that details of such dedicated hospital wards/blocks are provided to the public, duly coordinating with the respective health departments of States/UTs and the District Health Administration of the States/Districts wherever these hospitals are located.

It has been suggested that a Nodal Officer may be nominated from the Ministry/Department for necessary coordination with the respective States/UTs for this purpose and their contact details be shared with the respective States/UTs as well as the Union Health Ministry.

NNN