Home isolation for Covid-19 patients with mild symptoms a way ahead: DAK

Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) Thursday wellcomed the ICMR guidelines where in they have changed the admission policy for Covid-19 cases and have allowed home isolation for mild and presymptomatic cases.

President DAK, Dr Suhail Naik said as per the global evidence 80 per cent of COVID cases are mild and can be easily observed and managed at home.

“We have also observed that in Jammu and Kashmir where Covid-19 positive cases have  reached to  591, around 90 percent among them are either asymptomatic or have mild symptoms,” he said.

Dr Naik said that in J&K, majority of people have their own homes and that is a great advantage to tackle the crisis imposed following the pandemic.

General Secretary DAK Dr Owais H Dar while appreciating guidelines said that such measures are very important to prevent  overburdening or crumbling of  health infrastructure while dealing with such dreaded pandemic.

“Such measures will allow us to sustain and deliver non Covid services like maternity and child care, immunization, emergency operations, cardiac and neurological emergencies smoothly,” Dar said.

He said while following these guidelines responsibility is on community and they should follow all the protocols in letter and spirit.

The doctors body saif that family and patient should regularly inform about health status to the district surveillance officer for further follow up.

DAK requested adminstation that while adopting these  guidelines it is very imperative to educate people about  home care and other measures taken by rest of family members.

“Further a strong team of field staff should be created at all block levels under leadership of medical officers to look after these home isolated patients,” it said. (PTK)