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Pune collector directs private doctors to treat Covid-19 patients
Pune: The Pune district administration on Monday issued an order under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, taking over the services of private doctors for treating
Pune: The Pune district administration on Monday issued an order under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, taking over the services of private doctors for treating Covid-19 patients. The order, issued under Section 25 of Disaster Management Act, allows the administration to constitute a tribunal which has transferred services of enlisted private doctors.
According to a press release issued by the district collector’s office, private doctors would now have to help the administration design a treatment protocol for the treatment of Covod-19 patients, especially those with comorbid conditions. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) believes that it will be a tough challenge given that the pandemic has already hit the city.
Dr Aarti Nimkar, chief, IMA Pune chapter said, “IMA Pune has already started helping the district administration from Monday with their OPDs and clinics. In a recent meeting of private doctors and major hospitals with the district administration it was discussed that each medical college and major hospitals would have to prepare a Covid-19 isolation centre and provide their senior doctors to help the administration.”
She said at this juncture it would be difficult to design a protocol since the city has already seen many positive cases. “There is no single drug or protocol which works for all patients and many of them have multiple health conditions. Hence, to design a treatment protocol is a challenge,” Nimkar said.
With increase in the number of positive and suspected cases in the city, the district administration is scrambling to find isolation centres for suspected and their close contacts. According to the district administration, each major hospital in the city would have a nodal officer who would be in touch with Sassoon General Hospital to coordinate between the doctors. The doctors concerned would also be paid an honorarium. The collaboration between private and government doctors would help bring in the expertise required to treat comorbid patients who are most affected with Sars-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19 (coronavirus).
