Bring fatalities to zero, CM instructs task force of doctors

Ahead of the government’s plan to roll out more relaxations from the first week of August, chief minister (CM) Uddhav Thackeray has directed the task forces of doctors

Ahead of the government’s plan to roll out more relaxations from the first week of August, chief minister (CM) Uddhav Thackeray has directed the task forces of doctors from various districts to work towards bringing the case fatality rate to zero and ensure better management of patients.

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The CM spoke with the teams of doctors during a video conference on Friday to brainstorm for better patient management.

The task forces from across the state have been directed to follow the example of Mumbai, which has managed to contain the virus and reduce the death rate. After the successful intervention of the 11-member state task force of doctors in Mumbai, the government had appointed such forces in all the other districts.

Many districts in the state are witnessing a spike in Covid-19 cases, with poor doubling rate, and high fatality rate.

“The fatality rate is more than 3% in the state, and it should be gradually brought down to zero. The coordination between the task forces will be help bring uniformity in the line of treatment, leading to a drop in the fatalities,” said Thackeray.

A state government official who was present at the meeting said that the CM also discussed the role of the state-level task force in the clinical management of patients in Mumbai and other cities in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. “Most of the interventions, including anti-viral drugs, were introduced on the suggestions by the doctors in the force,” said the official.

The CM also expressed concern for the rising number of cases in rural areas of Maharashtra. “The new trend of the spread in rural parts of the state is a cause for worry as the health infrastructure in these areas is comparatively weak. The guidance of these task force doctors, who are globally renowned names in their respective fields, to the district-level doctors is expected to play an important role,” said the official.

Since the state government is planning to roll out more relaxations from August 1, the authorities are expected to be extra cautious. “There will be a spike in cases after the relaxations, but it should not turn into a ‘second wave’ as was witnessed in some other countries. The district-level augmentation of health infrastructure and focused efforts by the administration are more important in this backdrop,” the official added.

Thackeray directed the teams of doctors to follow the guidelines for use of antiviral drugs like remdesivir and favipiravir.

“The district-level doctors were guided about the utility of the antiviral drugs and management of the oxygen beds, which play a crucial role in saving lives. The dialogue between the state task force members and their counterparts in the districts will help in building confidence among them,” said Dr TP Lahane, director, Directorate of Medical Education and Research, Mumbai.

Dr Sanjay Oak, who leads the state-level task force said that the doctors should avoid unnecessary use of antiviral drugs.