Online OPD service, eSanjeevaniOPD, launched in Assam

GUWAHATI: Assam has launched online OPD service, eSanjeevaniOPD, in the state where doctors will volunteers to help patients with ailments during lockdown. This initiative is part of Union health ministry’s National Tele Consultation Service. The state government has launched it together with National Health Mission (NHM) service.

Patients need to register online for the services. They would need a laptop/computer, camera, microphone, speaker and internet connection. The services will be available between 10 am and 2 pm from Monday to Saturday.

So far 21 doctors including 12 from Jorhat Medical College Hospital (JMCH) have volunteers for the purpose. 30 people have availed this service so far.

For a fact, on Thursday, five new COVID-19 cases were reported in Assam taking the total number of such cases across the state to 42. While four fresh cases are from Bongaigaon, one is from Karimganj in the Barak valley. The patient from Karimganj had secondary contact with a returnee from Nizamuddin Markaz, informed sources.

The update from Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma at 9:20 pm is: “Total COVID-19 patients in Assam now stands at 42. (29 are discharged, one death, so active hospital cases: 12).”

Meanwhile, with the confirmation of the other four new cases of COVID-19 from Bongaigaon district on Thursday, experts apprehend that Assam might have reached the third stage of the pandemic. This is because none of the four persons has any direct or indirect travel history. Meanwhile, the Bongaigaon district administration has sealed an area of three kilometer radius from the residences of each of the affected persons.

Announcing these cases here, Health Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, said, “The four persons are Anupam Thakuria (30) from Chaprakata under Bongaigaon Police Station, Dipak Mallik from Amguri area under Abhayapuri Police Station, Babita Basfor from the old 30-bedded Bongaigaon Hospital colony at the Swahid Bedi area, and Meena Biswakarma from the Vakarivita area, both under Bongaigaon Police Station. They are confirmed to be positive by the Barpeta Medical College; and all of them have been sent to MMCH Hospital in Guwahati. Their family members are in institutional quarantine. We have decided to declare Bongaigaon district as a ‘Red Zone’.

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