Our Bureau
GUWAHATI: While the number of COVID cases is just ballooning, the city hospitals are running out of beds. This twin scene is adding to the stress of patients. But it is the COVID-positive senior citizens (people above 60) who are now at an even higher risk as according to the Assam government's COVID protocol, any senior citizen who shows any symptom of COVID will have to be hospitalised.
"Any senior citizen, even if he or she is asymptomatic has to be hospitalised. As a rule, we do not allow any home isolation for any senior citizen because they are already in the high-risk category. Almost all senior citizens have some ailments or the other. With co-morbidities, they are extremely high-risk patients. Monitoring oxygen level is very important. There are several other issues with senior COVID-positive patients," said Dr Abhijit Sharma, Superintendent, Gauhati Medical College & Hospital (GMCH).
"Ailments like heart conditions, diabetes, kidney or liver complicacies are very common among senior citizens. These often further complicate the condition when the person is infected with
COVID. Monitoring their oxygen level and other critical parametres is very important. If the patient is at home, their family would not know when the sugar or the oxygen levels shoot up or down. This can be life threatening. Therefore, under no circumstances we allow home isolation of senior citizens," Dr Anupol Sharma, Superintendent, Mahendra Mohan Choudhury College & Hospital (MMCH), Guwahati said.
However, there are no paying cabins available at the GMCH; and the rush for general beds can be well understood given the current situation. The availability of general beds at MMCH is also no better. In such a scenario, senior citizens have no option but to make arrangements to stay at home.
"At least 15 beds in the general ward is expected to get freed today. We do not have paying cabins here," Dr Sharma pointed out.
Though the private hospitals are somehow managing the situation yet they too are almost bursting at the seams.
The Government of Assam had agreed for home isolation of COVID patients but with several conditions. According to a government notification issued earlier, only asymptomatic patients with no serious co-morbid conditions shall be allowed to undergo home isolation. Patients, who have senior citizens above the age of 60 in their residences, cannot opt for home isolation.
Patients with co-morbid conditions such as kidney disease, heart disease, stroke, tuberculosis, cancer, HIV, immune-compromised conditions, etc, shall not be allowed to opt for home isolation, said the government's notice.
The persons opting for home isolation shall have to sign an undertaking, whereby he/she will state that he/she shall comply with the government's directives during the period of isolation.
There has to be separate toilet for the COVID patient.
The 14-point notification also mentions that the patient in home isolation will have to have a pulse oximeter, thermal scanner and a personal doctor to regularly monitor oxygen saturation level which should not fall below 95%.
A caregiver has to be with the patient round the clock, added the notification.