The Karnataka government streamlined procedures and protocols to avoid delay in admission and treatment of COVID-19 patients in state-run and private hospitals across the city, a top official said on July 5.

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"We have developed an online facility management system for streamlining admission, treatment and discharge of COVID patients in state-run and private hospitals in the city and avoid delay in bed allocation to new patients," the state health commissioner told IANS.

With positive cases surging by the day in the city over the last 3 weeks, the health department has earmarked 50 percent of beds in private hospitals for COVID patients as the state-run hospitals are full with active cases under treatment. "Systems and protocols have been set up for bed allocation and immediate shifting of COVID patients to avoid delay and denial of treatment to anyone," he asserted.

Of the 21,549 COVID cases in the southern state till date, Bengaluru accounted for 8,345 cases, with a record 1,172 new cases reported on July 4, taking its tally of positive cases to 8,345 and active to 7,250 after 965 were discharged, while 129 died due to the virus. "The state-run Suvarna Arogya Suraksha Trust will update in real time the number of beds available in the hospitals for admission, treatment, discharge and referrals on 24x7 basis," he reiterated.

In addition to 108 ambulance service number, the department has added 1912 helpline of the state-run power supplier Bescom to allot beds to COVID patients at their nearest hospitals on priority. "The 108 ambulance service will shift patients from COVID Care Centres (CCCs) to hospitals for treatment, while patients whose condition has improved will be moved to CCCs," he said.

All hospitals empanelled with the Trust will update the status of their beds to a database for the use of the city civic corporation for allotting them to new patients. When a patient with breathlessness calls the 108 service, the Aroyga Kavacha personnel will ascertain if the patient is COVID positive or a suspect and arrange for an advanced life support ambulance to shift him to a nearby treatment facility. "If the patient has not taken test but has breathlessness due to COVID, asthama or an influenza-like illness, he/she will be shifted immediately to a COVID hospital and compulsorily tested," he pointed out.

The city civic body's bed allocation team will have updated availability of beds and has been linked to 108 and 1912 toll free emergency service numbers. "The team will get the list of COVID positive patients from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) portal in real-time and send paramedics to patients' residences after contacting them," he added.