'Discharge certificates must mention patient is free from Covid infection'

Kolkata: Hospitals will have to clearly mention in the discharge certificates that the patient who is being released is free from Covid infection.

The state government is giving directions to the Health department to take necessary steps in this regard.

The move has been taken after finding many COVID-19 patients facing untold harassment for no valid reason when they return to their localities after getting completely cured from the disease during their stay at any of the dedicated hospitals.

Sources added that the word "COVID-19 Negative" will be written in bold on discharge certificates of patients.

Even Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had said a few days ago that the fight should be against the disease and not the person who is suffering from the same.

This comes when the discharge rate of COVID-19 patients was 68.92 percent on Friday. It has gone up from 59.01 percent to 68.33 in the time period from July 20 to July 30. The discharge rate in Bengal is even higher than the national average.

Meanwhile, the state government has made the Covid Patient Management System (CPMS) mandatory for private hospitals in the districts admitting the COVID-19 patients to ensure better treatment of patients who are in critical condition.

The state government has already directed all state-run hospitals to take necessary measures in this regard. Now, in an order dated July 30, it has stated that the same "is also applicable to all private clinical establishments in districts admitting COVID-19 Hospitals".

It has been stated in the order that the medical superintendents of such private clinical establishments in districts should personally supervise and ensure that the system is updated on a daily basis.

Data related to all admissions including proper entry of symptoms and co-morbidities if any, the Early Warning

Score of every patient, investigation results of the laboratory, wherever tests are done, also have to be updated in the CPMS.

Detailed information about the patients at the time of release also has to be provided through the system and in case of death, related information also has to be immediately provided through the CPMS.