E-Paper
On the Frontline: Focus on making maximum use of available resources to deal with current situation, says PMC health chief
Hankare coordinates the ongoing house-to-house survey to detect Covid-19 related symptoms
Ramchandra Hankare, head, PMC, health department, spoke about the challenges he faces while fulfilling his duty in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.
What is your role in this pandemic?
I handle the health deportment team that comes under the PMC jurisdiction. I have to coordinate with all the private and government hospitals in the city and make sure all the necessary arrangements are in place to help Covid-19 patients. I have to coordinate with divisional and municipal commissioners, additional municipal commissioner and district collector and follow the instructions on how to go about in this current situation.
How does your day begin and roll out?
Currently, there is no fixed timing for anything as I have to be on my toes to fulfil my responsibilities. My day starts at 6am and ends at 1am or 2am in the night or even late. I have to coordinate the ongoing house-to-house survey undertaken by the civic body staffers to detect Covid-19 related symptoms like fever, dry cough, cold and respiratory illnesses in certain areas of the city. I also have to keep a check on the number of patients testing positive for the virus and coordinate with private and government hospitals authorities about the ongoing measures taken to treat patients.
What precautions are you taking?
I follow social distancing while dealing with patients or their family members and during visits to the hospitals. I also wear a mask and other necessary equipment while on duty. I carry my food with me and avoid eating out.
When I return home from duty, I take bath and sanitise my phone, spectacles, watch and other items, if I am carrying them to work. My wife and daughter are both in the medical field so they are busy as well and my son is pursuing a degree in medicine. So, we all make sure we take necessary precautions at home to keep away from Sars-cov-2 virus which causes the Covid-19 (coronavirus) infection.
What is your view of the Covid-19 crisis in Pune? How do you see it unfolding?
The situation is under control right now. People should coordinate with the authorities and together we can fight and overcome this situation. If people follow all the precautions and avoid stepping out of their houses unless it is urgent we can control the spread of Covid-19. Those who have symptoms should come forward and get tested and quarantined, so that the spread of virus stops.
What gaps do you see in health and relief work?
We are preparing for the worst. We are making maximum arrangement for Covid-19 patients and keeping various private hospitals ready to accommodate more patients. We are arranging medical and non-medical staff to deal with the patients, if the numbers increase. The civic body is doing its best with the available resources and many non-government organisations and individual volunteers are coming forward to offer help us. Instead of looking at gaps and shortcomings, we are focusing on how we can make maximum use of the resources available and what arrangements can be made if the number of patients increases in the coming days. We keep communicating with the medical and paramedical staff about how to take necessary precautions and deal with patients and they should follow all the precautions themselves to stay safe.
