Screening and isolation facilities for suspected swine flu cases will be extended to some private hospitals.

So far, with no Tamiflu stocks, private hospitals have been referring critical patients to government and civic hospitals that have such facilities. On Sunday, the state asked civic authorities to rope in private hospitals that meet the requirements.

“Only hospitals that comply with central guidelines for isolation facilities will be roped in,” said Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, after a meeting of state and civic authorities. The chief secretary will meet private hospital authorities to identify those that can set up isolation facilities.

“These hospitals will be notified by the government to treat patients and medicines will be made available. Private practitioners have been asked to send suspected cases there,” Chavan said.

Notified private hospitals need no longer route samples through Kasturba Hospital; they can send these directly to the testing centres in Pune and Mumbai.

Doctors of medical colleges have been mobilised to help peripheral hospitals, said Dr Sanjay Oak, director of medical education and research for the BMC. Government hospitals have been asked to be on standby. “BMC hospitals are managing it well. If need be, the JJ Group of Hospitals will be roped in. JJ Hospital with 20 designated beds, GT Hospital with 10 and St George Hospital with 10 are on standby. We have also asked Solapur Medical College to keep 20 beds,” said Bhushan Gagrani, secretary, medical education and drugs.

Helplines will be set up at the Mantralaya and at the district level.

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