Covid care: State deploys more than 800 docs in five districts

Kolkata: The state Health department and the Indian Medical Association (IMA) have already roped in more than 800 doctors in five districts —Kolkata, North 24-Parganas, South 24-Parganas, Howrah and Hooghly which will monitor the treatment of Covid infected patients in home isolation in those districts.

According to the Health department sources, the services would be made available in the five districts within November 15. The new services would entitle each Covid patient in home isolation to select doctors in the local level according to their choice. The attempt would help the district health officials to reduce the burden of the hospitals.

The Bengal government had earlier decided to employ more than 17,000 doctors across the state for the monitoring of home isolation patients. The Health department found that the patients in home isolation are not always following the government norms. There have been cases where the affected patients had ignored the signs of complications in the initial stages as a result their health condition deteriorated later. In many of these cases the patients started taking medical advice after their condition worsened.

It was learnt that around 28,000 patients are in home isolation in the state out of the total 41,000 patients who have been undergoing treatment at various health establishments and other centers.

Attempts have been made to utilise the local doctors after the health department met the senior officials of various civic bodies and the representatives from the Indian Medical

Association (IMA) a few days ago.

The local doctors in all the five districts would be tagged with the 97 branches of IMA situated in the districts. The local IMA officials would also monitor the doctors who would conduct the treatment of the patients. The details relating to the treatment of the patients would be communicated to the district health officials. The services would be available under the jurisdiction of 49 civic bodies in the five districts and rural areas as well.

According to the health department sources, the IMA officials in the districts would conduct training for the doctors who would provide treatment to the patients in home isolation. A team has been constituted with Dr Bibhuti Saha of the School of Tropical Medicine, Dr Jyotirmoy Pal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital and Dr Soumitra

Ghosh from the SSKM Hospital who would train the doctors in the city.