The first such session through tele-consultation or video conference will be held today.
The doctors will provide guidance on effective clinical management of coronavirus infected patients in the ICUs of different state hospitals through tele/video consultation, the Health Ministry said on Wednesday.
Tele-consultation is a critical component of the clinical intervention protocol for COVID-19.
"They will handhold the states in clinical management of COVID-19 patients to reduce the case fatality rate. These tele-consultation sessions for providing timely and expert guidance to the doctors in the states shall be conducted twice every week, on Tuesdays and Fridays," the ministry said in its statement.
Ten hospitals with more than 1000 beds, including nine from Mumbai (Maharashtra) and one from Goa will participate in the first session.
These are NESCO Jumbo Facility, P South (Phase II), CIDCO Mulund Jumbo Facility – T (Phase II), Malad Infiniti Mall Jumbo Facility, PN (Phase III); Jio Convention Centre Jumbo Facility, HE (Phase III); Nair Hospital; MCGM Seven Hills; MMRDA BKC Jumbo Facility, HE (Phase II); MMRDA BKC Jumbo Facility, HE (Phase I); Mumbai Metro Dahisar Jumbo Facility, T (Phase II); and Govt Medical College and Hospital, Panaji, Goa.
"As part of its holistic response and management strategy for COVID-19, the Centre remains committed to reducing case fatality rate by ensuring effective clinical management of all COVID-19 positive patients," the ministry said.
Selected hospitals have more than 1000 beds for COVID patients including isolation beds, oxygen supported and ICU beds. Today's session will be led by Dr Anand Mohan, HOD, Pulmonary Medicine, AIIMS, Delhi.
This tele-consultation exercise shall be extended to another 61 hospitals which have bed capacity ranging from 500-1000 on twice a week basis. A calendar of these expert-led tele-consultation sessions has been drawn up to cover the States till July 31.
A total of 17 such states shall be covered including Delhi, Gujarat, Telangana, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Bihar, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Jharkhand and Maharashtra, the ministry said.
Up to two doctors handling ICU patients from each hospital along with the Director General of health Services (DGHS) of the state concerned will participate in the VC interaction, it said. PLB DV DV