SILCHAR, June 10 - Behind Assam�s impressive rate of COVID-19 positive patients recovering from the clutches of 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 the stomach 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 with almost all cases having travel history of returning from hotspot zones. One hundred and fifty three patients have been treated at the hospital till now, out of which only 32 patients are currently undergoing treatment. One hundred and twenty patients have been released including the 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, unfortunately, we were 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.
On the other hand, Dr Babul Kumar Bezbaruah, principal of the hospital, while talking to The Assam Tribune said, �treating COVID-19 patients has 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 stomach perforation has been brought of the COVID ICU and shifted to the Department of Surgery. Constant guidance and motivation by Minister of Health Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, the Minister of Forests Parimal Suklabaidya, Silchar MP Dr Rajdeep Roy and cooperation from the district administration�s Health department, Police and media fraternity has made our job much easier and we are focused on lessening the woes of the patients so far. But, we were unfortunate that the patient from Hailakandi was brought in an extremely tough condition and we got very little time to treat him before he succumbed.�
Talking further 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 have got 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 are not troubled owing to the prevailing conditions at the hospital.
