The Karnataka government has made it mandatory to take up physical triage of all Covid patients after taking serious note of about 400 to 600 Covid cases being reported every day in Bengaluru. Triage of patients involves looking for signs of serious illness or injury. It also helps assess the severity of their condition.

The direction has been given as per the advice of an expert committee. The Chief Commissioner of BBMP Gaurav Gupta has issued an order in this regard on Sunday evening.

“It is mandatory to take up a triage of all Covid-19 cases with clinical assessment. The expert committee has opined that early physical triage helps in reducing morbidity and mortality,” the order specified.

To facilitate early triage, physical triage centres (PTC) would come up at the assembly constituency level and mobile triage units (MTU) will be made available at primary health centres.

“It has come to the notice of BBMP that few Covid-19 positive patients are denying physical traits service provided at physical triage centres or through mobile triage centres. It is directed to mandatory get early physical triage of all Covid-19 positive cases in Bengaluru,” the order stated.

“No Covid-19 positive patient can deny physical triage either at the center or at mobile units. If any individual or organization is found violating the guideline, action will be initiated under the Karnataka Epidemic Diseases Ordinance (KPDO) and Disaster Management Act of 2005,” the order said.

The BBMP has directed all laboratories and private hospitals testing for Covid-19 (either RAT/RT PCR or any other approved Covid tests), to update the results on ICMR portal immediately, and inform the respective BBMP authorities via email.

The BBMP’s direction comes as many labs and private hospitals have been informing Covid-19 test results to the patients directly, even before informing BBMP authorities or updating on ICMR portal.

Covid-19 has been declared a pandemic and it is mandatory for all private establishments managing (testing and/or treating) to report all Covid-19 positive cases to BBMP to ensure timely and effective containment and surveillance.

(With IANS inputs)