There are around 2,000 patients from other districts and states admitted in designated Covid hospitals in Vadodara. In the last few days, there is a steady increase in number of deaths in patients coming from other districts of Gujarat, and in some cases from other States of India.
This is partially because they arrive or are referred very late from other hospital in other districts where they were under treatment for COVID-19. Most of the private ambulance services of other districts do not follow the Intelligent Referral System (IRS) working for the nine districts of Central Gujarat.
To ensure prompt and appropriate treatment to all needy patients of other districts and to prevent them from having to wait in ambulances in queue for admission to hospitals, the administration opened a Centralised War Room for them at Command And Control Centre, Badamdi Baug. All patients coming from outside districts of Vadodara will have to inform the War Room telephonically through the number 14420.
As per the notification, all Health Facilities, Private Ambulance Services and 108 Ambulance Services outside Vadodara shall necessarily intimate the War Room in advance and get instructions as to which hospitals they should arrive and at what time. All Government and Private Hospitals of Vadodara shall admit patients from outside Vadodara District strictly as per instructions from the War Room.
Dr. Sudhir Desai, Superintendent of Police, Vadodara is appointed as a Nodal Officer for overall Operations of the War Room. Jaydeepsinh Jadeja, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Crime Branch Vadodara will work additionally as Additional Nodal Officer for the same. Manish Bhatt, Director, IT, VMC and Mangesh Jaiswal, Director, Encroachment Removal and Security, VMC will also work additionally as Additional Nodal Officers for the same.
All of these Officers will work under the overall guidance of Municipal Commissioner P. Swaroop and Shalini Agarwal, Collector & District Magistrate, Vadodara. This order is effective from 25th April 2021 and till further notice.
It further states that any person, Institution, organization found violating any provision of these regulations shall be deemed to have committed punishable offence under section 188 of Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860).
Officer on Special Duty Dr. Vinod Rao had a Video conference with all Collectors of Central Gujarat Districts, Regional Deputy Director of Health and Program Manager of 108 Ambulance Service to strictly enforce the Notification. He said, streamlining the inflow of Patients from outside Vadodara will be very crucial for managing the situation in the coming days. The War Room is opening for the same purpose having a toll-free number 14420 for better communication and management.