With a rise in the number of positive cases, doctors have now suggested to the State government that the discharge of stable patients should be made flexible so that more beds can be made available for those with severe symptoms.
Sudarshan Ballal, Chairman of Manipal Hospitals, who is also part of the State’s COVID-19 expert committee, said: “We should look at options of an early discharge of stable patients who can further undergo therapy in an ambulatory manner or through home care with rigorous monitoring.”
“If this is done for appropriate patients, we could free up almost 50% of hospital beds at any given time by bringing down the average length of stay for COVID-19 patients. We can always move the patients back in case they become sick for any reason at short notice,” he added.
