189 positive in Cachar; 4 died in SMCH; no more free food, new guidelines for COVID treatment

The district health department has informed that 189 individuals have tested positive in the district on Monday. Spokesperson Suman Choudhury shared that despite opening 26 testing centres across the district, the turnout has been “disappointing.”

“We have got to know that a lot of people are self-treating themselves at home without testing for COVID19. This is a dangerous move as the oxygen saturation levels might drop any moment,” asserted Choudhury.

To address this issue, the district administration will roll out a door to door fever-surveillance drive. Apart from that, if in any area, 20 people submit an online declaration to get tested, the administration will perform the tests at the doorstep.

Choudhury informed that the norms for COVID treatment have changed and the ones above the poverty line will have to “pay a certain amount” for the food they are served. “Patients can avail cabin stay at hospitals but they would have to pay the regular cabin charges,” informed Choudhury. He added that the administration has asked the chemists and pharmacies to keep records of the customers purchasing paracetamols.

Another major change that has been announced is related to the transfer of patients. “From now onwards, patients will have to arrange their own means of communication from hospital to home after discharge. We will only provide transportation if the patient is from a different district,” said Dr. Bhaskar Gupta, vice-principal, Silchar Medical College and Hospital. This new rule will be followed across all COVID Care Centres and COVID Hospitals.

Dr. Gupta added that 27 patients got admitted to SMCH’s COVID wards in the last 24 hours while 24 were discharged. Currently, there are 218 patients in the COVID wards while 16 are in ICU. “26 patients are in critical condition and in the last 24 hours, four patients died in SMCH. Out of them, two are from Cachar and two from Karimganj,” added Gupta.

While more than a thousand patients got discharged so far from SMCH only 52 donors voluntarily donated plasma. 101 recipients have undergone plasma therapy at SMCH so far.