Officials focus on home isolation patients- Safari park closes

SNS, SILIGURI, 2 MAY 21 : Given the spike in new cases of coronavirus, health department officials have laid morcfocuson monitoring of home isolation cases through virtual methods designed to guide recovery by avoiding a hospital visit as far as possible.

However, there are allegations of lack of monitoring on several cases.

Sources at the department said that at present around 2,700 Covid-19 patients were under home isolation in Darjeeling district. Officials said the number had gone up many fold as compared to the figures last year.

The Center has recently issued revised guidelines for home isolation of asymptomatic Covid-19 patients and those with mild symptoms.

The head of the department of tropical medicine at the Calcutta School of tropical Medicine, Dr Bibhuti Saha, said that patients who are less than 50 years of age and who do not have comorbid conditions like chronic kidney ailment, high blood pressure, diabetes, suffering from HIV; serious lung and kidney ailments, cancer, lever ailment should be allowed home isolation only after proper evaluation by the treating medical officer.

"There should be a caregiver who will record the daily temperature, check the oxygen levels with the pulse oximeter at intervals of four- five hours and blood pressure. The patients will take the paracetamol, vitamin C, zinc, doxycycline, and ivermectin, according to the advice of the doctors. The patients should take liquid food and normal food prepared at home. If the patients develop any problem, doctors who are monitoring them should be informed immediately," Dr Saha said.

The head of the department of medicine at the IPGMER and SSKM Hospital, Dr Soumitra Ghosh, said the family members living with home isolation patients should always wear masks. Dr Ghosh advised that high risk groups like aged persons, diabetics, those suffering from kidney ailments and others should undergo Covid tests within five to 10 days.

The Darjeeling district Chief Medical Officer of Health-II, Dr Tulsi Pramanik, said the health department had engaged block-wise counselors and increased the strength of the doctors monitoring the patients under home isolation. There are nine blocks in the district.

"The health department is taking all steps for the effective monitoring of the patients under home isolation. We have increased the strength of the set-up.

There are around 25 doctors to supervise their condition. Counselors are also monitoring the patients and motivating them," Dr Pramanik said, adding that the rate of recovery is also encouraging.

'Red Volunteers' spring into action

'Red Volunteers' consisting of young CPI-M activists are out to help people in distress amid the raging Covid-19 pandemic. The SFI leadership has engaged their activists in Darjeeling district.

District SFI secretary and a 'Red Volunteer,' Sankar Majumder, said the SFI activists were reaching out to the people. "During the lockdown last year, we stood beside the common people and worked at the micro level extensively. We had delivered free ration at their doorsteps. The activists distributed medicines and various essential items, including sanitisers and masks. We are carrying out similar activities this year also, and that took an organised shape of Red Volunteers. Along with medicines, we have also provided oxygen. We are also distributing the contact numbers of Red Volunteers so that people can contact them in case of any need. They will try to help them as much as possible," Mr Majumder said.

More than 200 activists in the district have been on the field since 27 April.

Safari park closes

A popular haunt for people in the region, the North Bengal Wild Animal Park in Siliguri has closed for visitors because of the rising Covid-19 cases. A notice has been issued, informing visitors about its closure 'until further order'.

"In view of the situation, the West Bengal Zoo Authority observed that the visitors turn up here from different places. This can lead to the spread of infections and in order to curb it the park will remain closed for visitors until further orders," said the director of the park, Badal Debnath.

Five avid patients die

Five persons, who had tested positive for Covid-19, died in Siliguri in the past 24 hours, sources said. Among them, four died at the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH).

A 63-year-old resident of Bhaktinagar died at the NBMCH today while a 72-year old resident of Matigara, a :32- year old resident of HaiderPara, and a 40-year-old resident of North Dinajpur also died there. A 61-year-old resident of Kisanganj died in a private hospital. Yesterday the district recorded 408 new cases of Covid-19, while the Siliguri Municipal Corporation area, including portions under Jalpaiguri district, reported 267 cases. Sixty-eight cases were detected in Matigara, 36 in Phansidewa,27 in Naxalbari, 25 in Kharibari, 13 in Kurseong Municipality, 12 in Sukna, eight in Bijanbari, seven cases each in Mirik and Takdah, five cases in Darjeeling Municipality, and three in Sukhia Pokhari.