Assam IMA resents changes in Govt’s COVID-19 management policy

The Assam wing of the Indian Medical Association expressed strong resentment at the recent changes in COVID-19 management policy by the government.

“With the present surge of COVID-19 patients, it will be difficult for the government to control the situation if proper planning is not done. Increasing hospital beds without manpower planning will be a futile exercise as we have very limited resources in terms of doctors and health workers,” the association stated in a letter wrote to the Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on July 7^th, 2020.

The association further strongly criticised the government's order of engaging health workers and doctors in service in the COVID Wards for 11 consecutive days and thereafter only 3 days of quarantine before re-engaging them in COVID duties subject to testing negative for the disease.

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“It does not require mention that working in COVID wards continuously for 11 days wearing full PPE kits and in this torrid summer, without air-conditioning in most centres, would be very much exerting and exhausting and IMA fears the government's decision will demoralize the frontline workers,” the association said.

Moreover, IMA strongly protests the government's decision to switch over to antigen tests for checking health workers engaged in COVID-19 duty as the ICMR has already mentioned that this test is less sensitive and a negative test does not rule out COVID, moreover requires confirmation of the negative status by a PCR test.

The association further said that such unplanned and insensitive steps will further endanger the health workers and time is not far away that doctors and health workers will have to serve the people with COVID in their persons.

IMA demanded a critical review by the government why so many health workers and doctors are affected by the disease while working with the disease.

Besides, the association advised the government to adhere to ICMR's advice of managing and supervising asymptomatic COVID patients who qualify for home treatment to get themselves treated in their homes as it is not possible with limited resourses and facilities to treat the large numbers of cases. IMA urged the government to take experienced healthcare professionals and groups in confidence in proper planning to face the challenges rather than taking closed door and whimsical decisions. “Otherwise the much talked about successful Assam model will collapse in no time,” said Dr. Satyajit Bomb, State President.

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