Karimganj District Launches Telemedicine Facility for COVID Patients in Home Isolation

KARIMGANJ: A telemedicine facility launched in south Assam's Karimganj district for dealing with mild and moderate COVID-19 patients below the age of 50 years and free of any underlying comorbid conditions, has received good response with many of those in-home quarantines, opting for this. As many as 597 people (on Sunday) are now under home isolation for COVID-19 treatment in the district, stated a press release.

Doctors who have been roped into this dedicated system, say that patients are happy to be in-home isolation now, as they can contact them any time of the day through the telemedicine facility, something that many are finding it difficult to get in-hospital care. A health official said that as soon as they got the samples of positive patients, the medical team assessed their condition and if they have mild or moderate conditions, the officials concerned assess the houses to see if they have facilities for isolation, like a separate room and bathroom. "If the facilities are there, patients are asked to self-isolate. A sticker is pasted on the door to indicate outsiders about a person in isolation," said the official. Medical officers in charge of the system said that patients heave a sigh of relief at being told that they can self-isolate at home, compared to hospital care where there is total isolation. "We are ready to reach out any time of the day and there is a dedicated team of medical experts for this facility," said a medical expert.

Regular calls are being made to monitor the vitals including pulse rate, oxygen levels, and temperature. "If we observe that a patient needs hospital care, even after days in home isolation, it is done immediately," quipped the medical expert.

Telemedicine service is making a very positive contribution to health care and has turned out to be a boon for many during pandemic times. "Telemedicine is emerging as an effective and sustainable solution for precaution, prevention, and treatment to stem the spread of COVID-19," said a health official, adding, "By deploying this facility, people who are having mild to moderate symptoms of COVID can receive all the medical care and attention at home without going to medical institutions, thus minimising the risk of getting themselves further exposed and contracting others, especially the front line health workers from the dreaded virus."

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