SILCHAR, JUNE 10: Behind Assam's impressive rate of COVID-19 positive patients recovering from the virus, with 301 patients being discharged, doctors at the Silchar Medical College and Hospital(SMCH) have been able to treat Coronavirus patients with critical co-morbid issues as well.
In the words of Dr Bhaskar Gupta, vice principal of the hospital, they have treated 153 COVID-19 patients at the hospital so far including patients from Dima Hasao district.
Of the total, three patients including Assam's first COVID-19 case from Karimganj district who is also a cancer patient, a lady from Tarapur Silchar with liver disease and another person from Karimganj with perforation in stomuch had to be treated with clinical attention.
"We have tested 16,689 swab samples so far and 366 such samples have tested COVID-19 positive results with almost all cases having travel history of returning from hotspot zones. 153 patients have been treated at the hospital till now, out of which only 32 patients are currently undergoing treatment. 120 patients have been released including 29 discharged on Tuesday.
"The team of dedicated doctors and paramedical staff coupled with good medical treatment facilities and guidance from the Government helped us to cure patients.
"However, we are unfortunate not to be able to save the 65 year old patient from Hailakandi who had acute co-morbid issues. Sadly, he was the first COVID-19 casualty in North East," Dr Gupta said.
Dr Babul Kumar Bezbaruah, principal of the hospital, while talking to The Assam Tribune said, "treating COVID-19 patients have been a life time experience for all the doctors and medical team at the SMCH. The three COVID-19 positive cases with critical co-morbid complications were given special medical attention. While two of them have been sent home, the patient from Karimganj with stomuch perforation is brought of the COVID ICU and shifted at Department of Surgery.
"Constant guidance and motivation by Minister of Health Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma sir, Minister of Forests Parimal Suklabaidya sir, Silchar MP Dr Rajdeep Roy sir and cooperation from District Administration Health Department, Police and media fraternity has made our job much easier and full of focus in lessening the woes of the patients so far. But, we are unfortunate that the patient from Hailakandi was brought in extremely difficult condition and we got very little time to treat upon him before he succumbed."
Talking about the treatment arrangement at the hospital, Dr Bezbaruah informed that a Whatsapp group of COVID-19 doctors along with hospital administration helped to keep a constant track of the cases round the clock.
"Our vice principal Dr Bhaskar Gupta, Superintendent Dr Abhijit Swami, all other administrative authorities and doctors assigned on COVID duties had the sole mission to see through the tough phase and all of us are working towards it with total dedication. Thankfully, none of our doctors and paramedical staff were infected so far and this shows how everyone has taken the lessons on do's and don'ts during the training sessions seriously."
The SMCH principal informed that since the hospital was reopened for treatment of general patients, efforts have been made to streamline the services so that patients do not get hampered owing to the prevailing conditions at the hospital.
