Karnataka mulls home isolation for asymptomatic COVID-19 patients

Coronavirus

This comes after a meeting between CM Yediyurappa and other medical experts and senior administrative staff in the state.

Soumya Chatterjee

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The Karnataka government is deliberating home isolation as opposed to hospitalisation for asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic patients of COVID-19. This development comes after the Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Wednesday held a meeting with Dr CN Manjunath, Karnataka nodal officer for testing of COVID-19, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike Commissioner BH Anil Kumar, and other medical experts in public and private sector as well as senior administrative staff. An official from the CM’s office told TNM, “Most of the experts opined that treating asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic patients in home isolation would be appropriate as it would lessen the burden on hospitals. They advised us to focus on treating people with serious symptoms and comorbidities at hospitals.” The CM’s office also said that experts suggested that instead of hospitalisation, these low-risk patients should be treated with telemedicine. There should be effective usage of Tele ICU (Intensive Care Unit) and regular online training about treatment protocols, they said. However, the Health Department will issue Standard Operating Procedures before issuing a circular or order to this effect, sources said. Doctors at the meeting also emphasised on the need to increase the doubling rate of COVID-19 patients in the state, strict enforcement of precautionary measures in closed places where there is close contact, and in crowded areas. It was also decided at the meeting that staff strength at field level must be enhanced for contact tracing and services of other departments may be used. Incidentally, the COVID-19 state bulletin issued on Tuesday said that all the nearly 500 COVID-19 patients reported that day in Bengaluru were “under contact tracing”. Following the meeting, the Health Department was also instructed to arrange for an uninterrupted supply chain for oxygen as well as necessary drugs for effective treatment of COVID-19 patients. The national capital of Delhi along with some other states have already started home isolation for asymptomatic patients.

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IMD predicts rain in coastal Karnataka till July 5: Orange alert in Uttara Kannada

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The coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada are expected to receive light to moderate rainfall till July 5.

TNM Staff

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Monsoon in Karnataka is well underway as we enter the month of July, and the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has released a bulletin noting that certain parts of the state will experience rainfall over the next five days. The IMD noted that there is a trough in the east Arabian sea, along the Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala coasts, which will result in coastal districts in Karnataka to receive light to moderate rainfall till July 5. Following a yellow alert on Monday in three districts in the state, CS Patil, Director of IMD, Bengaluru, said in a video bulletin that there is an orange alert for heavy rains in Uttara Kannada district in Karnataka till July 5. Orange alert means that officials are expected to be prepared for heavy to very heavy rainfall, for possible flooding. In three coastal districts - Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada – heavy rains are predicted for July 3. Rainfall occurred at most places in coastal Karnataka, a few places in north interior Karnataka and at isolated places over south interior Karnataka on Tuesday. One IMD station in Uttara Kannada – Khadar – reported heavy rainfall. According to the IMD release, rain and thunderstorms are very likely over most places in coastal Karnataka over the next five days, and at many places in north interior and south interior parts of the state as well. IMD has also issued a thunderstorm as well as heavy rainfall warning for the next 24 hours over isolated places in coastal Karnataka. However, the IMD bulletin also said that southwest monsoon had been weak so far in the state.

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9 Bengaluru hospitals served notice for turning away patient with COVID-19 symptoms

coronavirus

The 52-year-old man succumbed to his illness on Sunday, after he was denied timely medical attention by several hospitals in the city.

Soumya Chatterjee

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The Karnataka government on Wednesday issued show cause notices to nine hospitals in Bengaluru including big names in private medical healthcare—  like Fortis and Manipal— over the death of a patient who was denied timely medical care recently. The state government had already issued orders stating that no patient having COVID-19 or exhibiting coronavirus symptoms can be denied treatment. As widely reported, the 52-year-old man had succumbed to his illness on Sunday, after he was denied timely medical attention by several hospitals in the city. He was suffering from breathlessness for a 24-hour period. In the show cause notice issued by Pankaj Kumar Pandey, Commissioner, Family of Health and Family Welfare Department, it has been said, “The [patient], aged 52 years is succumbed due to denial of admission by 18 private hospitals contacted by the said patient.”  The hospitals which have been served notices are: Fortis Hospital in Cunningham Road, Mahaveer Jain Hospital in Vasanth Nagar, Suguna Hospital in Rajajinagar, Manipal Hospital, Brindavan Hospital, Rangadore Hospital, Vikram Hospital, Sakara Hospital and Bowring Hospital. Speaking to TNM, family members had alleged that he was denied access to medical care by 18 private hospitals in the city whom they had approached. He was finally admitted by Bowring Hospital. The notice takes cognisance of a detailed news article published by the Times of India on June 30. “His son and his nephew have stated that the patient was taken to these hospitals on Saturday and Sunday for admission on observing some ILI (influenza like illness) symptoms. But none of these hospitals have not admitted in on the pretext of unavailability of bed/ventilators. This is a clear violation of providing medical assistance and admission necessitated under the agreed provision of KPME Registration. They should strictly adhere to the provisions under Sections 11 & 110 of KPME Act 2017. Private Medical Establishments cannot deny / refuse / avoid treatment to patients with Covid-19 and Covid-19 like symptoms,” said the notice. “By denying the admission to the deceased patient, your hospitals have violated the provisions of the above said act. You are liable for legal action in this regard. Therefore, you are required to reply to the show cause within 24 hrs as to why action should not be initiated against you under the provisions of KPME Act and State Disaster Management Act,” the notice added. Speaking to TNM, the nephew of the patient had said that in addition to the 18 hospitals that they drove him to in an ambulance, he contacted 32 other hospitals who all denied admission. Even designated private hospitals for COVID-19 treatment declined to admit him, his nephew told TNM. TNM could not reach a relevant Health Department official on why only nine hospitals were issued notice.

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K’taka Min R Ashoka in isolation after doctor he met tests positive for coronavirus

Coronavirus

Chief Minister Yediyurappa who came in contact with the minister has also submitted his samples for a test

TNM Staff

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Karnataka Revenue Minister R Ashoka has gone into isolation after a doctor at Victoria Hospital, where the minister had gone for a routine inspection, tested positive for coronavirus. R Ashoka is the primary contact of the unnamed doctor who tested positive. The minister had met him while he had gone to visit Victoria hospital in the last week of June for inspection while the doctor was on duty at the time. Bangalore Mirror reported that the minister has gone into isolation along with several of his staff, who have been in close contact with the minister.  Meanwhile, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa has also submitted his samples for a test since he had met the minister following R Ashoka’s visit to the hospital. Several other healthcare professionals have been infected at Victoria Hospital, which is Bengaluru’s primary hospital for serious coronavirus patients. It was previously reported that nearly a dozen nurses and doctors from Victoria hospital have tested positive for coronavirus. R Ashoka had been appointed as the COVID-19 minister in-charge after Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar went into quarantine after his family members tested positive for coronavirus. K Sudhakar has now resumed his duties in the government since Tuesday, June 30, as his test results came back as negative. TNM had previously reported that three of Sudhakar’s family members tested positive for coronavirus following contact with their household staff who had gotten infected. It may be recalled that the unscheduled hospital visit had ruffled some feathers in the Karnataka government. The power struggle within the BJP is also something that the Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa has been trying to manage, first by giving charge of Bengaluru’s COVID-19 battle to Dr K Sudhakar. This charge was then handed over to Karnataka Health minister B Sriramulu, who had also expressed unhappiness at R Ashoka taking charge of Bengaluru’s COVID-19 fight while K Sudhakar was away.

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Goats quarantined and tested in Karnataka after shepherd gets COVID-19

Coronavirus

Villagers alerted officials when they noticed that some goats and sheep at Godekere village in Tumakuru district were having respiratory problems.

PTI

About 50 goats and sheep have been kept in isolation at a village in Tumakuru district of Karnataka after the shepherd tested positive for coronavirus, officials said on Tuesday. This was done after the villagers were alarmed when they noticed that some goats and sheep at Godekere village in Gollarahatti taluk were having respiratory problems, an officer in the animal husbandry department of the district said. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the officer told PTI: "A few of the animals, whom the shepherd had reared, developed respiratory problems. Now that there is coronavirus scare everywhere, people are afraid that the animals too have contracted the disease." The villagers sought the help of Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister JC Madhuswamy, who is the Tumakuru district in-charger. The minister, in turn, directed the animal husbandry department to probe the matter following which department officials rushed to the village and collected samples. He has also asked the Deputy Commissioner of the district, K Rakesh Kumar, to investigate the matter.  Veterinary experts suspect that the animals are suffering from Peste des petits ruminants (PPR), also known as goat plague, and mycoplasma infection. The officer said the samples collected from the animals have been sent to the Institute of Animal Health and Veterinary Biologicals and Animal Diseases Laboratory in Bhopal. According to him, the prevalence of COVID-19 has not been recorded in goats and sheep. The animals have been quarantined as PPR and mycoplasma too are communicable diseases and can spread to other animals, he added. However, animals testing positive for the novel coronavirus is not unheard of. In the United States, a tiger at a zoo in New York was the first animal to test positive, according to the US Centre for Disease Control. The CDC said that the virus can be transmitted to “cats, dogs, and a few other types of animals” and in the US, they became sick after having come in contact with infected people.

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Complete lockdown on 5 Sundays in Karnataka, marriages fixed will be allowed

Coronavirus

However, the number of guests should not exceed 50 in marriage-related gatherings.

TNM Staff

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There will be a complete lockdown on five Sundays in Karnataka, starting from July 5 to August 2, the state government's Unlock-2 guidelines said on Tuesday. However, essential activities and marriages already fixed on these days shall be permitted, a Government Order said. However, the number of guests should not exceed 50 in marriage-related gatherings. The order issued by Chief Secretary TM Vijay Bhaskar by and large implements the Unlock 2 guidelines issued by the centre, that will be in force until July 31. On night curfew, it said movement of individuals would be strictly prohibited between 8.00 pm to 5.00 am throughout the state, except for essential activities, including operation of industrial units in multiple shifts, movement of persons and goods on national and state highways and major district roads. Loading and unloading of cargo and travel of persons to their destinations after disembarking from buses, trains and airplanes are exempted from night curfew. With effect from July 10, all government offices, Boards and Corporations, except those operating and maintaining essential services, shall remain closed on all Saturdays till the second week of August, the order said, adding that this in addition to the existing holidays on 2nd and 4th Saturdays. Schools, colleges, educational and coaching institutions will continue to remain closed till July 31 as prescribed by the centre. However, training institutions of the central and state government will be allowed to function from July 15, for which Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) will be issued by the Department of Personnel & Training (DOPT) and Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms, it said. International air travel of passengers, Metro Rail,cinema halls, gymnasiums,swimming pools,entertainment parks,theatres, bars, auditoriums, assembly halls and similar places, social, political, sports, entertainment, academic, cultural,religious functions and other large congregations continue to remain prohibited, it added. The lockdown would continue to remain in force in the containment zones, where only essential activities will be allowed.

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6,500 more beds to be made ready for COVID-19 patients in Karnataka soon

Coronavirus

The state government will hire 1,500 doctors and 6,000 nurses too, in the near future.

TNM Staff

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In order to increase the treatment capacity for COVID-19 patients needing active medical support, the Karnataka government is adding 6,500 beds across the state in the coming days, reported The Times of India.  The state government has decided based on the diagnosis that patients who do not need active medical care will be kept in COVID-19 care centres. For this same purpose, the state government will hire 1,500 doctors and 6,000 nurses too, in the near future. In a meeting chaired by Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa and attended by private hospital representatives on Tuesday, it was decided that 4,500 beds in 11 private medical colleges in Bengaluru will be made available for this crisis.  It was also decided that all private hospitals having more than 200 beds will have to reserve 25% of their beds for COVID-19 treatment. The Hindu reported that this will increase the number of COVID-19 beds from 2,200 to 4,500 in private facilities alone. All these beds have been promised to be made ready in a time of two weeks. This was the second successive day that the CM met private healthcare players to increase the scope of pandemic management in the state. Further efforts were made to make beds available at government run medical colleges across the length and breadth of the state. Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar and Revenue Minister R Ashoka along with Chief Secretary Vijay Bhaskar, were also part of the meeting.  Speaking after the meeting, Minister Sudhakar said that three government medical colleges in Bengaluru alone have kept 1,000 beds along with oxygen and ventilator facilities available for COVID-19 treatment.  He further said a central allotment committee will keep in touch with nodal officers of these medical colleges for scientific allotment of beds. On the issue of pricing, prices fixed by the government will also apply to private medical colleges just like in the case of private hospitals, he said.  The Hindu reported that this bed allotting facility will soon take off in Bengaluru in the next 2-3 days quoting a note from the Chief Minister’s Office. In addition to the beds, the CM also said that to ramp up the state’s testing efforts, all medical colleges in the state barring 10 will be equipped with COVID-19 testing labs.

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