GUWAHATI: Assam Health Department has taken some emergency measures to gear up preparedness to combat COVID-19 outbreak, if any, in the state that include making arrangements for as many hospital beds and ICUs as possible exclusively for coronavirus patients.
“The state so far has not tested any COVID-109 positive case although 300 tests have been conducted so far,” the Health Minister, Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma informed on Friday.
Dr Sarma informed that from tomorrow onwards entire Guwahati Medical College Hospital (GMCH) barring the gynaecology department and the cancer care annexe, will be made exclusively ready for treating coronavirus patients. The step will provide 2500 beds for COVID-19 patients.
Similarly, Mahendra Mohan Choudhury (MMC) Civil Hospital with 200 beds will be kept exclusive for COVID patients.
The patients coming to these hospitals will go to private hospitals in the city. The Health Department has signed as agreement with as many as 34 private hospitals in the city for the purpose. The private hospitals will be paid by the government for treating these patients as per the rate fixed by National Health Authority under Ayushman Bharat Scheme. The health minister said these private hospitals among them will have to treat about 1000 patients in the process.
The Health Department is signing similar agreement with private hospitals in Dibrugarh and Silchar tomorrow so that Assam Medical C0llege in Dibrugarh and Silchar Medical College in Silchar will become exclusive treatment centres for COVID-19 patients.
Our aim is to have 500 ICUs ready soon while we now have 250 ICUs. But it is a dynamic process and the number is bound to keep on changing.
“As of now our preparation is very good. One quarantine centre has been set up as of now, we are planning to set up more such centres at district level as ICMR has sent new guidelines for COVID fighting. The ICMR has been giving sufficient rapid testing kits,” Dr Sarma informed.
He informed that from Saturday all final year MBBS students and nursing students even doctors and PG students will be trained on treating Corona virus patients. The minister, however, ruled out engaging retired doctors in treating COVID-19 patients as they fall in vulnerable category of populace under attack of the virus. The retired doctors’ service will be utilised as advisers and trainers.
Meanwhile, the state government is planning to set up five hospitals with 300 beds each with fabricated structures soon for firefighting against the deadly virus. These hospitals will have facilities for ICUs and ventilators. State government employees will donate their one-day salary for the purpose besides MPLAD funds provided by several MPs.
“In the event of emergency situation if there happens to be large number of COVID-19 positive cases in the state, the Sadou Asam Karmachari Parishad (SAKP) is being sounded to facilitate 10 % salary deduction of Government employees if the need arises. The employees will be either paid back in a later date or they will be paid interest on the amount they have provided. It will be required in a worse scenario and I pray that such situation doesn’t arise in the state,” the Health Minister said.