The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has allowed registered general practitioners to screen and treat asymptomatic Covid-19 patients who are in home isolation in Pune. At least 4,000 patients in Pune are in home isolation, according to civic officials. At a meeting with doctors from various medical associations, Municipal Commissioner Vikram Kumar has given the go-ahead to general practitioners to treat Covid-19 patients who are asymptomatic and in home isolation. In areas in PMC jurisdiction, more than 1,000 deaths due to Covid-19 have been reported. Dr Sanjeev Wavare, assistant medical officer of PMC, said that on a daily basis, nearly 6,500-7,000 samples are being tested and over 1,800 to 2,000 local residents are testing positive. On a positive note, between 600 and 800 patients are also being discharged. Doctors across 19 medical associations including IMA, General Practitioners Association, Hadapsar Medical Association, Pune Doctors Association and Association of Medical Consultants met the PMC commissioner on Monday. Dr Sanjay Patil, chairman of the action committee of Indian Medical Association, Pune, said the municipal commissioner has given the IMA and other association doctors the green signal to screen and treat Covid-19 patients who are in home isolation, and even refer them to Covid care centres, if necessary. Those who attended the meeting also agreed on other issues like allowing telemedicine for home isolation. Dr Aarti Nimkar, president of IMA's Pune branch, said a proper referral mechanism should be in place in case the patient who is being treated at home develops complications and needs to be referred to a Covid care centre. The hotel industry should come forward to support home isolation of patients and registered general practitioners staying nearby will support those places, said IMA officials. The civic administration also agreed to provide GPs with medico-legal support. The doctors' associations also demanded that they should get a chance to directly communicate with the PMC commissioner at fixed intervals, without any middleman. Kumar agreed to a face-to-face meeting, instead of a Zoom meet, once in a fortnight. The PMC commissioner also made an appeal to IMA Pune, to help in identifying Covid- related working hospitals and bed occupancy, along with other associations. Dr Nimkar also said there was a need to designate Covid and Non-Covid clinic and hospitals separately, as patients were scared to come for check-ups. Dr Rajan Sancheti, secretary of IMA Pune, also sought Rs 50 lakh medical insurance for doctors on deputation for Covid-19 duties while Dr Rupa Agarwal, president of GPA, took up issues faced by women doctors and requested that pregnant doctors and lactating women should be exempted from such duties.
