Mumbai: Private hospitals in Mumbai today
agreed to set up isolation wards for treatment of swine-flu
affected as government said patients can get admitted to such
hospitals once officials found the facilities satisfactory.
About 19 top private hospitals have agreed to setup
isolation wards with around 150 to 200 beds to attend people
with complaints of H1N1 virus, state Chief Secretary Johnny
Joseph said.
"The private hospitals have agreed to share the burden
of tackling swine flu cases and the chief executives came up
with plans of facilities to be established in their hospital
for the isolation ward," Joseph said after the meeting.
"We will be sending our health team to inspect the
hospital centres to find out whether they have followed the
government guidelines," he said.
The government asked the hospitals to come back in
seven days so that "once the officials clear the hospitals for
having the isolation wards, the patients can get admitted to
the private hospitals", he said.
Some of the important things which will be checked by
health officials include isolated rooms with separate
air-conditioning facilities, entrance and ventilators, he
said.
"We (private hospitals) showed our willingness to join
the government in tackling the situation and it is a win-win
situation for both," the Hinduja Hospital CEO Pramod Lele told
news agencies.
Bureau Report
