Hospitals start hotel isolation facilities for asymptomatic/mild COVID patients

Anxiety, availability of medical attention and avoiding transmission to others are reasons people opt for them

In the past week, a few corporate hospitals in Hyderabad have started hotel isolation facilities for COVID-19 patients who are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms. These services were provided last year too. Since the patients who don’t need active medical attention too were seeking admission in the second wave of the pandemic, hospitals have resumed the services. Isolating such patients in hotels helps to keep the hospitals beds for patients who are critical, or those who need oxygen, mechanical ventilator support, or other forms of medical intervention. Apart from consultation by physicians, consultation by dieticians is provided. Nurses too attend to them. Charges range from around ₹ 4,000 to ₹ 7,000 a day or more depending on the hospital. Along with medical attention, luxuries or comfort is made available for those who can shell out money. On April 6, Telangana’s Director of Public Health Dr. G Srinivasa Rao has suggested managements of corporate hospitals to open COVID Care Centres for patients with mild symptoms. The hotel isolation facilities are currently provided by Aster Prime Hospitals, Apollo Hospitals. The management of Continental Hospitals said that they too would provide the facilities in a few days.