HYDERABAD: Stressing on the need to subscribe for the Corona Kavach - a policy designed by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) - from any of the medical insurance providers, Telangana Superspeciality Hospitals Association (TSHA) president Dr B Bhaskar Rao said that insurance has become the primary mode of bill payments at private hospitals for COVID-19 treatment in the second wave of pandemic.
Speaking during a virtual press conference organised by the TSHA on Monday, Dr Rao, who is also the MD of KIMS Hospitals, said that during last year almost 90 per cent people whose kin were admitted to private hospitals for COVID-19 treatment paid their bills in cash.
But in the second wave, around 40 per cent of the patients are able to afford treatment through the Corona Kavach medical insurance. Speaking specifically about the oxygen shortage, Dr Rao said that there has been a sharp rise not just in the need for oxygen beds but also oxygen per person due to severity of the cases.
"In a 1,000-bed hospital, the usual requirement is for 100 to 150 oxygen beds, of which only three to four will be equipped with high-flow nasal canula or ventilator facility. However, that requirement has gone up to at least 500 to 600 oxygen beds in each of these 1,000 bedded hospitals. The oxygen consumption too has increased by almost 10 times per patient," he said.
While emphasising the need for increased oxygen production in the State, D Rao said that earlier the 20,000-liter oxygen plant at KIMS Hospitals used be filled once in four to five but now it is being filled once every 24 hours.
Dr Rao also said that from now, the government should be prepared to deal with the third, fourth or even fifth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic by passing regulations, similar to fire safety norms, and make it mandatory for high-rise residential buildings and hotels to have mandatory oxygen supplies available on their premises.
He also said that those with mild COVID-19 symptoms must quarantine themselves at home or hotels and keep monitoring vitals like respiration rate, oxygen saturation, heart rate and temperature. "If required, they should opt to get admitted in nursing homes or small hopitals. This would leave the precious few beds in superspeciality hospitals for COVID-19 patients with moderate and severe symptoms, who require a higher-level of medical intervention," he said.
As the demand for ventilators increases, Dr Rao said that kin of COVID-19 patients in serious condition must go for ventilator option only if the doctors tell them there is a 90 per cent chance of survival. "Some patients demand ventilators even if there is one per cent chance of survival. This should be avoided," he added.