17,000 doctors to monitor Covid patients in home isolation

Kolkata: In a unique move, the Bengal government has decided to employ 17,000 doctors who will monitor the treatment of Covid-infected patients at home isolation, sources in the health department said.

The decision has been taken after the health department found that patients in home isolation are not following the government norms seriously. There have been cases where the affected patients had ignored the signs of complications in the initial stages as a result of which their health conditions have deteriorated later. This has happened in a few cases as there was no proper monitoring at the local level. In many of these cases, the patients started taking medical advice after their condition worsened.

Over nearly 98,000 patients have been undergoing treatment in home isolation and if initial symptoms of complications are ignored due to the ignorance of the patients, it might further contribute to fatality. Considering various aspects, the health department in consultation with the various civic bodies, has come up with this new idea. A virtual meeting was conducted with the representatives from the civic bodies, health officials from Kolkata, Howrah, Hooghly, Howrah, North 24-Parganas and South 24-Parganas. Members of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) were also present.

It has been decided in the meeting that the IMA will soon start training doctors who will be deployed for monitoring the health conditions of the Covid infected patients in home isolation. Many of these patients who were not following proper medication will now be under the surveillance of the designated doctors. Senior health department officials believe that the new decision would enable the government to manage Covid patients in a better manner in the districts. These doctors will remain in constant touch with the infected patients at home isolation and continue to monitor their health condition.

A section of people have been avoiding hospitalisation and preferring to keep their patients in home isolation. Sometimes they fail to understand when the health condition of patients turns critical. Many of the family members of the patients in home isolation are even reluctant to contact the health department. The health officials are therefore trying to ensure that the patients in home isolation are admitted to the hospitals before their condition worsens. The department had also introduced telemedicine consultation to provide health services to the patients in the districts. Patients and their family members can directly call and get suggestions regarding any ailment in the pandemic situation.