This Kolkata hospital offers ‘virtual visiting hours’ for Covid-19 patients

Doctors at the AMRI hospital said this will mitigate the anxiety of Covid-19 patients to a great extent.

A private hospital that registered West Bengal’s first Covid-19 death on March 23, has found a way to make patients interact with their families since the state government has banned mobile phones in isolation wards at hospitals across the state.

Seen here is an AMRI hospital building.

The government’s decision came after a patient at the state-run Bangur Hospital in Kolkata shot a video of a dead body lying in a ward and shared it on social media.

Subsequently, even the inter-ministerial central team (IMCT) visiting Bengal raised the issue.

In its order, the government said the ban was being imposed because mobile phones carry germs and infection.

“Keeping in mind the anxiety of family members of patients and the recent government directive banning mobile phones in isolation wards, given how mobile phones are carriers of germs and infection, AMRI Hospitals has started ‘Virtual Visiting Hours’ so that patients can keep in touch with family members even from isolation,” AMRI hospital said in a statement on Sunday.

The service was launched on the very same day.

“Every day, nurses at the isolation wards will approach each patient and connect them to their family over video call. The virtual visiting hour will take place from 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm,” the statement said.

Rupak Barua, group CEO, AMRI Hospitals, said, “Since normal visitations don’t apply to patients in isolation wards, we have been thinking of how to help our patients and their family members. We started it on Sunday, which has made both patients and their family members happy. This will mitigate their anxiety to a great extent. Our doctors also believe that getting to interact with their loved ones will help patients recover faster.”

Dr Koushik Chaki, secretary, West Bengal Doctors’ Forum, said, “Experts have categorically said that when a patient is kept in isolation the mobile phone becomes an essential item. It helps him fight the isolation and psychological pressure. And, it takes only a few seconds to disinfect a phone.”

Incidentally, a senior health department official infected with Covid-19 died at AMRI Hospital on Sunday.