Notice to 36 Bengaluru hospitals for not reserving beds for COVID-19 patients

The civic body directed the hospitals to comply with the rules or face suspension of registration.
Hospital beds, COVID-19 ward
Hospital beds, COVID-19 ward
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The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on Wednesday issued final showcause notices to 36 hospitals in Bengaluru for allegedly failing to comply with the directions of the Karnataka government to notify and reserve 50% of its beds for COVID-19 patients. 

The civic body directed the hospitals to comply with the rules or face suspension of registration under section 15 of the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments Act (KPME) Act.

"(The hospitals) are hereby directed to immediately comply for provision of the mandated number of beds within 48 hours and report the same to Commissioner, BBMP, failing which action would be taken against your establishment under Sec 15 of KPME Act for immediate suspension of registration and further action of fine and imprisonment under Section 19. Action would also be taken under provisions of Disaster Management Act also," read the notice issued by the BBMP Commissioner Manjunath Prasad.

Notices were issued to 21 hospitals which have more than 100 beds. This included Apollo Hospital (Bannerghatta and Sheshadripuram), Santosh Hospital, Shifa Hospital, Bangalore Baptist Hospital, Sagar Hospital, Manipal Hospital, Vikram Hospital, Sakra Hospital, Narayana Hrudayalaya among others. 10 hospitals with 50-100 beds and five hospitals with 20-50 beds were also issued notices.

"(The hospitals) are also directed to update the SATS online portal with details of all government referred patients and private patients so that the actual COVID patient bed occupancy is reflected. They are directed to also give the information about the occupancy of the beds by the non-COVID patients under various categories of beds as well," read the notice.

"Reserving 50% of the beds at private hospitals for COVID-19 treatment is compulsory. 36 private hospitals giving COVID-19 treatment have been issued notices by BBMP. The hospitals infringing the law will face action," Medical Education Minister Sudhakar K said.

BBMP stated that many private hospitals were turning away patients citing lack of beds in the hospital.

Cumulatively 4,84,990 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in Karnataka, which includes 7,536 deaths and 3,75,809 discharges, a health department bulletin said. Bengaluru Urban has the highest positive cases with a total of 1,80,283 cases. Of this, 39472 are active cases and 267 patients are in the ICU.

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