Visakhapatnam: Best prepared for any health emergency

Visakhapatnam: There is no iota of doubt that handling Covid-19 patients needs special skills but being part of multiple committees constituted to tackle the pandemic requires extraordinary expertise.

No wonder Andhra Medical College Principal P V Sudhakar has altered his shift that lasts for 17 hours a day or even more to suit his demanding schedule. Amid a steady stream of visitors, doctors and the staff, who arrive at his desk to seek suggestions and clarify doubts, the AMC Principal settles for an exclusive interview with The Hans India.

Ever since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, life has been quite hectic for the doctor. "After ramping up the healthcare facilities, District Collector V Vinay Chand laid emphasis on a multi-thronged approach with inter-departmental coordination, constituting 20 different committees such as manpower, training, field, lab and control room.

This has streamlined the cluster containment process in an effective manner," says Sudhakar, who heads manpower committee and is part of a few more.

Though there is a considerable rise in Visakhapatnam in the number of corona positive cases in the recent past taking the tally to 66 on Wednesday morning, the doctor says, the pandemic is well under control as containment measures have been intensified to control the spread of the infection.

"From tracking the foreign and Delhi returnees to sending them to home quarantine and monitoring them for any symptoms and testing them, an extensive contact tracing is in place, engaging an army of pulmonologists and 200 junior doctors," the AMC Principal explains.

Rapid Testing Teams (RTT) have been deployed to monitor 20 zones, covering all the 98 wards within GVMC limits. "With two functional labs now in Visakhapatnam, AP stands first in the country for extensive Covid testing and the port city gains the top spot as far as testing for coronavirus is concerned, the district can handle the flood of samples that arrive for testing," Sudhakar tells The Hans India.

With GIMSR as district Covid hospital, VIMS as state Covid hospital for treating corona patients with co-morbid conditions, and a number of private hospitals lined up to treat the corona-positive patients, the doctor says that the district is well equipped to handle any kind of health emergency going forward.

However, there are two major challenges the doctor considers tough to overcome. "One, manpower management as we have enough for the need but not for the greed. Ever since the outbreak of the pandemic, many are reluctant to join the duty as fear overwhelms them. Two, public education is another concern as many continue to meet in groups, in narrow by-lanes in particular, sans any maintenance of physical distancing. It is high time that every individual feels responsible and realise the importance of public health," cautions Sudhakar.

Defining a safe zone, the doctor says a place can be declared as safe if there is no further positive case within 28 days from the discharge of the last positive case in that particular area. Though there is no evidence of community transmission so far, Sudhakar concludes saying that maintaining physical distancing and following precautionary measures should become a way of life.