Assam to have first post-COVID care hospital in Guwahati

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: With increasing number of post-COVID complication cases and resultant deaths, the Assam Government has decided to set up the first post-COVID care hospital in the city.

The State Health department has already taken steps to convert the existing COVID Care Hospital at Kalapahar in the city into a post-COVID care hospital. The hospital will exclusively treat those patients who develop various health complications after they recover from COVID-19.

"Many COVID-19 patients have died after they were tested negative. Extreme fatigue, lethargy, body and joint pain, brain fog, and fever are the most common post-COVID complications, but there have also been cases of pneumonia, collapsed lungs, heart attacks, and strokes. The Gauhati Medical College & Hospital (GMCH), Mahendra Mohan Choudhury Hospital and other government health institutions are pre-occupied with treatment of those testing positive. With a decline in the number of positive cases, the Health department is converting the COVID Care Hospital at Kalapahar to treat patients with post COVID complications," a source in the Health department said.

Health Minister Keshab Mahanta, along with the Principal of GMCH, Dr Achyut Chandra Baishya last week visited the Kalapahar hospital to discuss plans about its conversion. All modern infrastructures, equipment and facilities are available at the Kalaphar hospital to treat patients with mild to serious post-COVID complications, the source said.

"Cases of diabetes or uncontrolled blood sugar levels are being increasingly found among COVID-19 recovered patients in the State. Another serious post-COVID complication is pulmonary embolism where a clot blocks the blood supply to the lungs. It can be life-threatening with patients dying within minutes, if the clot is big. The people with sudden chest pain, breathlessness, and drop in oxygen saturation should immediately go to hospital," a doctor at GMCH said.

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