On Tuesday, the Assam branch of Indian Medical Association (IMA) conveyed resentment over the state government’s current changes in policy on the management of COVID-19 situation. The medical body claimed that the changes are difficult to follow and won’t serve any purpose.

They have written a strongly-worded letter to Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and also sought to identify the reason behind the large number of doctors getting infected with coronavirus infection while giving treatment to patients. The minister hasn’t answered to the message sent by PTI till the filing of this report. Senior officials were also unavailable for comment.

The government had asked them to increase hospital beds “without manpower planning” and assign healthcare staff on continuous 11-day duty in COVID wards. Hence, the doctors’ body has urged Sarma to take experienced healthcare specialists into confidence for proper planning in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

Assam’s BJP-led alliance government has changed several rules after a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases in late June.

The letter read that IMA strongly protests the government’s order of allotting healthcare workers and doctors for eleven days’ continuous service in the COVID wards and afterwards only three days of quarantine before re-engaging them for COVID duties is subjected to test negative for the infection.

The letter also claimed that working in COVID wards for continuous 11 days wearing full PPE kits in summer and without air conditioning in many centers, is very exhausting for healthcare workers. The IMA fears that this decision will demoralize the front-line staff. Increasing the number of hospital beds without manpower planning will be a wasted exercise as they have limited resources in terms of doctors and healthcare workers. In the present upsurge of COVID-19 patients, it will be very difficult for the government to control the crisis situation if proper planning is not done.

The IMA had also opposed the government’s decision to switch over to antigen tests for testing healthcare workers who are engaged in COVID duty. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said a negative result by this test does not rule out COVID-19 and will require confirmation by an RT-PCR test.

Assam IMA, President Dr Satyajit Borah had claimed in the letter that the “unplanned and insensitive steps” will only risk healthcare workers and soon the doctors and healthcare workers will have to serve the people with COVID infection in person.

A copy of the letter is with PTI also. The IMA has demanded a critical review by the government for the reason that so many healthcare workers and doctors are affected by the disease while treating patients infected from COVID-19.

Almost 60 doctors of the state are suffering with the disease, and no figure is available for paramedics and other health workers.

The doctors’ body had also urged the minister to engage experienced healthcare specialists and groups in confidence for proper planning to fight the challenges rather than taking closed door impulsive decisions or else the successful Assam model will collapse soon.

Source: The Indian Express