27,000 Covid patients in home isolation, strictly monitoring their condition: PCMC
According to PCMC health department, 95 per cent of Covid-19 patients in the area are currently in home isolation. Until Monday, Pimpri-Chinchwad had 28,666 active cases of the infection.
The district registered its peak of third wave on January 24 when 93,642 active patients were in its jurisdiction with almost half of them from the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) area. (File) EVEN AS the industrial city of Pimpri-Chinchwad has over 27,500 Covid-19 patients in home isolation, not a single patient has required any emergency help or hospitalisation so far this month, Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has claimed. Besides, no home-isolation death has been reported so far, officials said.
According to PCMC health department, 95 per cent of Covid-19 patients in the area are currently in home isolation. Until Monday, Pimpri-Chinchwad had 28,666 active cases of the infection.
Dr Laxman Gofane, who heads PCMC medical department, said since maximum number of patients are showing mild symptoms, they have been asked to isolate themselves at home. “However, these patients are strictly being monitored by the PCMC. If they need any help, we are reaching out to them,” he said.
PCMC has roped in the services of a call centre for monitoring the home-isolated patients. Run by Ornet Technologies Private Limited, the call centre operates from Mumbai. Every day around 2,000-2,500 calls are made to patients isolating at home. “The patients are asked about their symptoms, about medicines they have been prescribed and whether they are taking them regularly, their blood oxygen level and other things…If they need any medical help, the civic doctors at Swasthya Tele Consultation Helpline set up in the Covid War Room are alerted who provide them with tele-consultation,” said Ram Bhojane, director of Ornet Technologies.
Dr Christopher Xavier, who heads the PCMC’s War Room, said that in nearly one month since Covid cases started rising in the city, and maximum number of patients were home isolated, the civic body has not come across a single case where the patient required hospitalisation. “But yes, they need medical advice. When the call centre staff gets such a call, the doctors who are available through the day at Covid War Room are alerted. The doctors then provide the necessary advice and counselling to the patients through the helpline. In last one month or so, the call centre staff has received over 1,500 calls from patients requiring medical advice,” he said.
Dr Abhijit Sangade, who heads the team of doctors at War Room, said, “In a few cases, when the patient have complained to us, we sent ASHA worker or a nurse from our nearby hospital to their residence. In other cases, the patient might require change in medicine or some other advice. Though our team of doctors works in the day time, during the night our staff guide the patients to approach the nearest zonal hospital of the civic body. But so far, we have had no emergencies wherein a patient was required to be shifted to the hospital.”
Ram said at least three calls are made to patients throughout their period of home isolation. “The first call is made as soon as the patient is put in home isolation. After that, we make at least three calls during the seven-day home-isolation period,” he said.
In case of a death, the relatives of the patients are required to alert the call centres. “But so far, no such call or information been received from the relatives,” said Dr Sangade.
PCMC pays Rs 13 per call to the private agency for its service.
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