Delhi High Court seeks discharge data from hosps

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court Saturday directed all hospitals in the national Capital to provide information on daily admissions and discharge of COVID-19 patients and of those admitted for over 10 days, since April 1.

A concern was raised in the court regarding optimal utilisation of ICU and oxygenated beds and ICU beds in hospitals and nursing homes across Delhi.

A bench of justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli, which held a four-hour-long special hearing on a holiday on various issues relating to the COVID-19 situation, said it appears there is choking of beds taking place in hospitals and nursing homes.

"Looking into the dearth and shortage of beds, particularly oxygen beds and beds in ICU, we consider it necessary to have this aspect looked into as there are allegations of malpractice of patients not being discharged despite having recovered from the COVID-19 disease," the bench said.

It said, "We direct the medical superintendents/ owners/ doctors of all hospitals and nursing homes, including those of Delhi government, Centre and private, to place details of the number of COVID-19 patients admitted and discharged each day from April 1."

They shall also give details of the number of patients who have remained hospitalised for 10 days or more and the type of bed occupied by them from April 1.

The bench said the details shall be emailed by May 4 to amicus curiae and senior advocate Raj Shekhar Rao who shall combine the information and place it before the court on May 5.

It also directed the Delhi government to forthwith update its portal about admission and discharge of COVID-19 patients from hospitals and to also keep it updated daily without fail.

It said the number of hospital beds available on the portal shall separately show how many of them are oxygenated and non-oxygenated.

"From what has emerged, it is well known that one who contracts COVID-19, takes about 10-14 days to recover in normal course... about 10 per cent of them require hospitalisation and 1 per cent of the total affected persons are likely to require greater medical intervention and admission to ICU," the court noted.

Delhi government counsel Satyakam submitted that in Delhi, there are a total of 20,938 beds for COVID-19 patients as on date in all hospitals here and the data include non-oxygenated, oxygenated, ICU beds.

To this, the bench said looking to this number, every day a substantial number of beds should become available for the patients, but that does not appear to be happening.

The patients who require hospitalisation with oxygen support should normally be in a position to leave the hospital within 8-10 days subject to the condition, unless it worsens and requires ICU, the court said, adding that in most cases, COVID-19 resolves itself in 10 days to two weeks with medicines.

"However it appears that there is choking of beds taking place in hospitals and nursing homes," the bench said.