From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Apr 28: The state government has made elaborate arrangements to provide telephonic medical consultations to Covid patients through Apthamitra helpline, health and family welfare minister Dr K Sudhakar said in Bengaluru on Wednesday.
Speaking to the media, he said preparations are afoot to ensure that the Covid patients receive medical consultations by calling them on the phone under home isolation within 3 to 4 hours of receiving test reports confirming their Covid positive status.
The telephone calls will be made to the Covid patients in home isolation through the Apthamitra helpline by experts with medical background and graduates. Arrangements for hospitalization of the Covid patients or admission in Covid Care Centres will be made based on the symptoms and physical conditions of the patients, he said.
Dr Sudhakar pointed out that some Covid patients in home isolation were not available for telephonic contacts and such persons will be contacted through the police. Arrangements to track and provide medical consultations through the Apthamitra helpline are being made in each of the eight zones in the Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), he said.
The minister said 6,000 to 8,000 staff were necessary to provide urgent and proper consultations and assistance to the Covid infected persons in the city and sought help from the private sector companies.
The health minister mentioned that the state government has learnt that many of the Covid patients were taking Remdesivir drugs without medical advice and even storing the drug in their house by obtaining prescriptions from the doctors, which was not correct.
The medical doctors too should not prescribe Remdesivir drugs indiscriminately and must be done to persons only if it was necessary.
The Centre has distributed 1.22 lac vials of Remdesivir injections, which were being manufactured by eight companies in the country.
Strict action against Jubilant Company
Dr Sudhakar said strict action will be taken against Jubilant Pharmaceutical Company for not honouring the orders for the supply of drugs.
He said the Centre has released 800 tonnes of oxygen to the state and said the oxygen will be distributed to the hospitals in full as per their requirements.
Dr Sudhakar made it clear that maternity hospitals were not being used for the treatment of Covid patients. But private hospitals must register pregnant women with Covid infections as is being done in the Vani Vilas Hospital.
The minister appealed to retired doctors and young doctors to provide online consultations to the Covid patients from their home voluntarily and mentioned that a separate portal was being created to utilize the services of such persons, who can register themselves in the portal. The state government was considering issuing a separate certificate for the purpose, he said.
Arrangements were also being made to supply oxygen, Remdesivir and other drugs for the Covid patients online, he added.