Max Healthcare, amongst the largest network of Super Speciality hospitals in India announced commencement of precautionary COVID testing for all its employees and IPD patients to ensure safety. It also announced that all new patients would also be tested at the time of admission. This will ensure that hospitals remain safe for employees and patients.

A virtual press conference was addressed today to share this information by Abhay Soi, Chairman, Max Healthcare and Chairman, Radiant Life Care Private Limited and Dr. Sandeep Budhiraja, Group Medical Director, Max Healthcare.

Over 24,000 healthcare workers from Max Hospitals (18,000), BLK Hospital (3,000) and Nanavati Hospital (Mumbai) (3,000) will be tested for COVID 19 over the next few weeks. Pool testing will be used for the employees, while individual PCR testing will be done for all the patients admitted in the hospital. Once ICMR allows serology testing and kits becoming available, we will use it for further and repeat testing of the staff members. COVID 19 is an unprecedented global pandemic and despite being at a high risk, frontline care givers are working relentlessly day in and day out to provide the necessary care to the patients in need. Large number of infections amongst healthcare workers has the potential of severely crippling the healthcare systems. It is imperative to understand that healthcare workers are a scarce, precious and non-replaceable resource and essential for seamless service delivery

All patients admitted across the network hospitals in the non-COVID wards and new patients will also be tested (at the time of admission) so as to ensure that hospitals remain safe.

Speaking about the initiative, Mr. Abhay Soi, Chairman, Max Healthcare and Chairman, Radiant Life Care Private Limited said, “As we continue to isolate ourselves, Healthcare Workers are expected to serve in institutions, where infection rates are likely to be prevalent either through transmission from patients or the local communities. We have seen as in Singapore that meticulous planning, testing and process safeguards can allow us to minimise infections amongst HCW’s. Max Healthcare is combining global learning with local innovations to protect its healthcare workers, patients and hospitals. We have also developed covid and non-covid hospitals so that there is minimal risk to non covid-patients and staff’’

Dr. Sandeep Budhiraja, Clinical Director, Max Healthcare added, “Healthcare infrastructure and clinical manpower in the nation is limited and therefore safeguarding the frontline of healthcare workers is of paramount importance. Healthcare workers are at a high risk of being infected. In addition, many patients admitted for some other procedure/surgery or illness may be harbouring asymptomatic covid 19 infection, which can only be detected by routine testing of all admitted patients. The pool testing process may lead to surfacing of some infected personnel/patients who otherwise have been asymptomatic but potentially infectious. We must identify these HCW’s at the earliest and extend proper support so that they do not infect others in the hospital or the community.”

This process has now been made possible since relaxation of testing norms by ICMR to cover such individuals. Max Healthcare strongly believes that this process is necessary to ensure all hospital facilities are safe.

Max Healthcare is the only private hospital chain with a dedicated covid 19 facility at Max Hospital Saket, East Wing. The healthcare workers managing the covid wards are staying within the hospital premises to provide seamless care as well as to limit any chances of spreading the disease. The hospital staff has been assured free and unlimited medical care at Max Hospitals in the unfortunate event of any of them being infected.

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