Even as the debates on whether asymptomatic COVID-19 patients should be allowed to recuperate in home isolation is going on in the State's public sphere, a councillor of the city Corporation, who had tested positive for the virus last week, has made a call for such a strategy change to save on the government’s resources.
Vanchiyoor.P.Babu, councillor of the Vanchiyoor ward and chairman of the civic body's development standing committee, is currently lodged at the COVID-19 first-line treatment centre (CFLTC) at the Institute of Management in Government at PMG, along with six other councillors who tested positive. In a short Facebook post on Sunday evening, he had said that the current strategy of shifting everyone who tests positive to the CFLTC may be tweaked, considering the increase in number of cases
Speaking to The Hindu from the CFLTC, Mr.Babu said that he raised the issue with the intention of starting a positive debate on how the available resources can be used effectively for the needy.
“All of the councillors, including me, lodged here are asymptomatic. The case is similar with several others in the CFLTCs. When we test positive, our family members are anyway going into quarantine. So, if it is an asymptomatic case like mine, the person can be isolated at a room in his or her house, while the other members are also in home quarantine.
The health staff or volunteers can do frequent checks over the phone on the isolated person on whether they are facing any difficulties, just like they do here at the CFLTCs. If they are facing any difficulties, they can be quickly shifted to a hospital, as we have a network of ambulances which respond fast,” said Mr.Babu.
He said that the space so freed up can be used for symptomatic people who need care and frequent checks on oxygen levels or those who lack space for isolating at home.
“The local bodies are spending more than ₹1,000 per day per person lodged at the CFLTCs.
With the increase in the number of patients, this could cause a severe strain on the finances of the local bodies as well as the State government. It is certainly comfortable for me or anyone else to stay in a facility like this, but in the larger interests of the society, we need to think whether this is sustainable,” he said.