India To Carry Out More Testings, Even With People With No Travel History

Amid the COVID-19 outbreak, India has recorded 536 confirmed cases and 8 deaths. While the number of cases is rapidly increasing, many health experts have suggested that in a country with 1.3 billion people, the number was very low. This means that India hasn’t done enough tests.

So far, the test for COVID-19 in India is only for those that have travel history or those that have direct contact with infected patients. In its advisory to hospitals, the Union Health Ministry stated that all pneumonia patients regardless of their travel history will be tested for COVID-19.

The new rules state:

It is advised that hospitals also have to make sure social distancing is practiced at their places. Hospitals have been asked to be prepared for setting up isolation facilities and keep beds apart. Additional resources should be mobilized which include masks, personal protection equipment, and gloves. Healthcare personnel should undergo training to deal with foreseeable emergencies.

Hospitals should mobilize doctors, nurses as well as support staff from different departments and train them in infection prevention and control. It is a must for hospitals to acquire enough high flow oxygen masks and ventilators.

The hospitals have also received a directive from the ministry to provide free treatment to any medical personnel that is infected while treating patients.

This comes after the government, as well as the Indian Council of Medical Research, insist that India hasn’t had community transmission yet.

Dr. Balram Bhargava, Director General of ICMR said:

India has also allowed some private labs and hospitals to carry out tests but the charge of each test is limited to be around Rs 5,000.

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