Expert Committees Formed To Inspect COVID-19 Hospitals

New Delhi: The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has constituted expert committees to inspect, supervise and guide government and other hospitals dedicated to COVID-19, Minister of State, Ashwini Choubey told the Rajya Sabha on Sunday.

Following directions of the Supreme Court, the committees were formed which took cognizance of shortcomings in the care of coronavirus patients in different hospitals in the country.

The ministry had written to all the states and union territories with regard to prescribing reasonable rates for testing and treatment of COVID-19, Choubey said in a written reply, reported NDTV.

He said the central government has issued an advisory to all states that dead bodies of suspected COVID-19 patients be handed over to their relatives immediately without waiting for laboratory confirmation and the body be disposed of in accordance with the guidelines on dead body management issued by the ministry.

According to the report, Choubey was listing the response by the government to the observations made by the Supreme Court on the ‘callous and insensitive’ manner in which government hospitals in certain states were treating COVID-19 patients and handling cremation and burial of bodies.

Hospital infrastructure in the country for managing COVID-19 cases is reportedly being continuously monitored by the central government.

The States have been advised to prepare for requisite surge capacities to manage cases in accordance with existing and projected growth rates. They also being supported in terms of logistic and financial requirements for setting up COVID-19 treatment facilities.