AIIMS stops routine Covid testing before admission, surgeries

New Delhi: The All India Institute of Medical Sciences here on Wednesday announced discontinuation of routine COVID-19 testing before inpatient hospitalisations, surgeries and non-interventional procedures.

AIIMS medical superintendent Dr D K Sharma, through a circular, requested the chiefs and in-charges of all centres, clinical and diagnostic departments to bring to the notice of all faculty/resident doctors/technical staff and nursing staff that this is no longer required for any such routine COVID-19 testing prior to any inpatient hospitalisation and/or any invasive/non-invasive procedure/imaging on any patient .

"In accordance with current ICMR's national guidelines, it has been decided to discontinue with routine COVID-19 testing prior to inpatient hospitalisations (regular as well as day care) and also prior to any minor or major surgical/interventional/ non-interventional procedures and imaging in clinically asymptomatic patients, including OPD/emergency patients as well as those patients who were earlier COVID-19 positive and have since recovered and transferred to the parent department's inpatient ward for continued treatment," the circular read.

Meanwhile, Delhi on Wednesday reported 1,317 fresh COVID-19 cases with a positivity rate of 2.11 per cent, while 13 more people succumbed to the viral disease, according to data shared by the city health department. With this, the national Capital's case count increased to 18,47,515 and the death toll climbed to 26,023, the latest bulletin stated.

As many as 62,556 COVID-19 tests were conducted in the city the previous day, it said.

Moreover, out of the total number of Covid deaths in Delhi audited for the period January 12-February 7, majority of these patients had co-morbid conditions like heart diseases or kidney ailments, according to a report.

Of the 853 deaths audited for this period, 779 or 91 per cent were those who were found with co-morbidities, as per the report on COVID-19 deaths analysis, shared by official sources.