Mumbai: Amid rising COVID-19 cases leading to shortage of beds across the city and with home isolation for mild and asymptomatic COVID-19 patients becoming the new norm, healthcare providers are innovating with special packages that offer medical care kits, video consultations with doctors and nurses and even diet plans during the quarantine period. Health and civic officials have welcomed this move stating it will benefit those patients who are not getting beds and need treatment on immediate basis at this time these packages is like a boon for everyone.
Over the last one year all these healthcare providers are on forefront for helping patients who need all facilities to be set up at home. However, the demand for these facilities has increased in the last one month since the second wave started and patients are running from pillar to post in search of COVID beds with all facilities needed for treatment.
Dr Dharmendar Kumar, chairman, R K HIV Aid Research and Care Centre, said they have received good response from the citizens to set up Intensive Care Units beds at home as there is a huge shortage of beds across the city. “On an average we get 30-40 calls daily inquiring about bed set up. Moreover, we provide all medical facilities depending on the patient's demand which includes tele-counselling, providing nurses and many others,” he said. However, there are different rates based on the requirements.
“All patients under home isolation are monitored remotely through a comprehensive tracking system involving government doctors and experts,” Dr Kumar added.
Meanwhile, the leading private hospitals which include Nanavati, Jaslok, HN Reliance and other more hospitals are providing home care packages to those patients who cannot go to hospitals and need treatment at home.
Senior civic officials said since the pandemic started many new initiatives have come into the health sector which are benefiting needy patients. In the current scenario providing beds or setting up beds at home is great work. But all these measures are for mild symptomatic and asymptomatic patients who need home isolation, while serious patients need to be admitted to hospital if their condition doesn’t improve at home.
“All the healthcare providers should make all necessary arrangements at the home of patients in need of the home care packages. Moreover, Remdesivir injection should be allowed only if doctors have prescribed it for the critical patients, or else they are not allowed to prescribe it,” he said.
