Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) on Tuesday urged health authorities in Kashmir to spare hospitals for patients who have severe disease from the novel coronavirus. “Most people infected with the novel virus do not require hospitalization,” said DAK President Dr Nisar ul Hassan in a statement.
“We need to reserve hospital infrastructure and manpower forthose who need them. We can’t pile up those who don’t need to be in hospitalsand leave no beds for those who actually need them,” he said.
The older patients and those with underlying medicalconditions should be observed in hospitals, even if they have milder illnessgiven the possible risk of progression to severe illness in them,” he said.
“Persons who have history of travel or contact with aconfirmed case after screening should be quarantined either at home or at adesignated community center. In no case should they occupy hospital beds,” headded.
Dr Nisar said only those patients who have severe diseaseshould get admitted to a hospital so that the work force at hospitals can focuson the most critical cases.
He said mild cases are those who have symptoms of fever andcough, but are stable and have no pneumonia or hypoxia. “Severe cases havedifficulty in breathing and are hypoxic, and critical cases have respiratoryand other organ failure,” he added.