Coronavirus crisis: Karnataka links all ICUs onto a single platform

Karnataka has established the country’s first Critical Care Support Unit to monitor the progress of Covid-19 patients in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) of various designated hospitals in order to monitor the positive cases across the state. The idea is to link all ICUs of Covid-19 hospitals across the state onto a single platform. 

The ICU preparedness of all designated hospitals will be uploaded on this platform. Details of ICU patients will then be uploaded including their treatment methodology. Data will be monitored and analysed by experts and the nodal officer will be intimated on deviation so that the data can be compiled and reported to the taskforce on a daily basis.

“This data is of immense help as it allows us to take precautionary measures to avoid escalations,” said Pankaj Kumar Pandey, Commissioner, Health and Family Welfare Department.

The government is also mulling the formation of a team of experts, from hospitals in Bengaluru, consisting of cardiologists, pulmonologists, nephrologists and physicians. This team of experts will be connected with a set of patients so that they can monitor and advise a suitable line of treatment for these patients.

“The objective of the Critical Care Support Unit is to monitor Covid-19 patients in ICUs across Karnataka state so that the hospitals are prepared for the potential onslaught by the virus and thereby to achieve zero Covid-19 mortality in the state,” said K Sudhakar, minister of medical education, Karnataka.