Maharashtra has recorded more than 1.24 cases of lakh coronavirus.
Mumbai:
In the midst of a spike in coronavirus cases in Maharashtra, the government of Uddhav Thackeray decided to conduct anti-body tests for all healthcare workers and others on the front line in the battle against COVID-19. With more than 1.24 cases of lakh, Maharashtra is the most affected state in India by the pandemic.
Maharashtra’s Minister of Health Rajesh Tope told reporters on Friday: “The body tests and antigen tests have been authorized. The body tests will be done mainly for frontline workers. We will be able to see if anti-bodies have developed or not and they will be able to function very well. We are making a political decision for anti-body tests for health care workers and front line staff in all districts. “
“The antigen tests are a diagnostic test with which we get a result just like the RT-PCR test. Antigen tests can help get reports within an hour of collecting the blood sample If it becomes negative, the RT-PCR test is performed for confirmation. If it becomes positive, then the patient is qualified as positive for Covid. This will allow us to take samples and perform tests in less time. containment areas, this will help us speed up the testing process, “said the minister.
Protecting healthcare workers has been a major concern for the state government, as many doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers have contracted the infection.
With an expected peak, Maharashtra, which is already experiencing a shortage of doctors, particularly with intensive care units, is now planning a tele-ICU experiment to treat critical patients more effectively.
Rajesh Tope told reporters: “What we have seen so far during the epidemic is that 85% of cases recover without any symptoms. Only 10 to 15% of the total patients need oxygen About 2 to 3% become critical or severe and they need intensive care. Intensive care requires specialist doctors and this is where we face a shortage. They are intensivists. Because of their shortage , we’re using new Medscape Foundation technologies. It’s a group of doctors. They’ve sent a proposal to manage USI in five to seven districts. “
Tope said the new technology will help the government deal with the pandemic amid a shortage of doctors and critical care beds.
“This is a technology where, next to the intensive care bed, there is a monitor that monitors the patient’s vital parameters. They can sit in Delhi and follow him. They will follow the history of the patient. patient and changing parameters and suggest a treatment that will help. This will help us control the mortality rate and technology can be put to use. Mumbai, Thane, Jalgaon, Solapur, Aurangabad and Akola have started trials and if it succeeds, we will extend this tele-ICU to other districts, “he said.
In Mumbai, the state government says centralized bed management is the only solution.
Tope told reporters: “Managing beds in the CCC and DCHC categories for asymptomatic patients and patients who only need oxygen goes smoothly. For severe or critical patients, we will create 500 beds in Covid hospitals. Once we have these beds up there will not be a problem for a critical patient who does not get a bed. For us, the problem of managing the beds is that even the beds intensive care is occupied by asymptomatic patients under their influence or paying extra money. “
“We need strict observation and control for this. This is why each private hospital has received a designated officer and the designated officer will sit there with a” May I help you “counsel and he will make sure whether 80% of the beds are supplied or not and whether they are properly loaded or not. They will have to ensure that no injustice is done and report to the BMC, “he added.
