Triage strategy and difficulties in its implementations in India.

Synopsis – Implementing an effective triage strategy could help combat COVID-19 situation in India.

What is triage?

Triage- The method of categorizing individuals based on their need for immediate medical treatment as compared to their chance of benefiting from such care. Triaging is one way to decide which patients to prioritize when the number of patients exceeds the capacity of available resources.

True implementation of triage-                                       

• The interests of everyone are put above the interest of an individual.
• Those who need immediate care are prioritized over those who can wait, irrespective of their status.

Current issues-

• Fear of admitting in the public hospitals –
  • • For example- Most of the senior bureaucrat, politician, doctor who has chosen to be treated in a private hospital in Mumbai.
• Unnecessary hospitalization – Many asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic people admitted to private hospitals because they fear that they won’t get a bed if they need one suddenly.

Way forward-

It is needed to implement true triage – Executing triage in its truest sense is a big collective leap and needs a certain social sanction. It needs to be perceived to be fair and transparent.

Source – The Hindu