Bengaluru: Facing a flood of COVID-19 false negative test reports, the Karnataka Government has issued circular directing hospitals to adopt a syndromic approach to admit COVID-19 patients.

Syndromic management involves clinical decision making based on a patient’s symptoms and signs being manifested. Medical experts here along with their pathology counterparts use an algorithm designed flow-chart to make decisions about the disease management.

“Syndromic approach should be complied with strictly for hospital admission and treatment of cases, to prevent further damage in the larger interest of public health,” Jawaid Akthar, Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, said in the circular. The order comes at a time when a large number of false negative COVID-19 test reports have resulted in denial of admission in hospitals.

After the recent surge of cases in the second wave, several instances have been reported where the lab test for COVID-19 is found negative even while the patient has COVID symptoms or CT scan has detected infection, the circular added.

“Considering the increasing number of false negative reports being witnessed in both RT-PCR and RAT tests, it has been decided to follow a Syndromic Approach and issue Patient Numbers for hospitalisation and treatment of such cases based on the authorisation of doctors,” Health and Medical Education Minister K. Sudhakar said in a statement.

This according will allow treating the cases bringing into consideration the symptoms manifested. Such a protocol would prevent further damage in the interest of public health.

“This will help COVID-19 infected persons to get timely admission and treatment, especially those who seek treatment in Government Hospitals and Private Hospitals through SAST reference,” Sudhakar added.

Since the rules mandate that infected persons should have patient number issued by district authorities or City Corporations to get admission in a hospital, several patients whose report is negative have been facing the issues to be hospitalised, thereby deteriorating their condition.

SAST is the special purpose vehicle created by the State Government which now mandates that hospitals should mention SRF (Specimen Referral Form), BU (Bengaluru Urban) or district details number in the case sheets, lab reports and discharge summary.