Covid warriors deployed on monitoring those isolated at home work 12 hours a day

Hubballi: The Dharwad district administration has constituted as many as 24 teams, each comprising a doctor and a field officer, to monitor the condition of asymptomatic Covid-19 patients and those with mild symptoms, all of whom are quarantined at home. Members of these 24 teams work for 12 hours a day, ensuring that these patients remain upbeat, and checking their key health parameters, et al. All the while, these Covid-19 warriors are putting themselves at risk since they have to be in proximity with patients who are positive for the novel coronavirus.
In many cases, these warriors have found themselves in situations where they have had to shift patients who develop complications to the nearest hospital.
A day spent in the company of these warriors gives one a glimpse of the demanding nature of their duty, and the sense of purpose with which they discharge. The day of these Covid-19 warriors begins early, when they get a list of patients they are to visit. While there are those patients, the condition of whom need to be monitored, and there are those freshly diagnosed with Covid-19, the homes of whom need to be inspected to see whether or not isolation is possible. In the event of the doctors and health department staff deciding that the house is not suitable for home quarantine, the patient is shifted to a Covid Care Centre.
Dr Basavaraj Kamadolli, one of the warriors assigned to the task of monitoring patients quarantined at home, said that it was their proximity to Covid-19 patients that was the most challenging part of their job. “Even the slightest mistake may prove costly since there is always the chance of us contracting the infection,” said Dr Kamadolli, adding that Dharwad DC Nitesh Patil interacted with them via video calls when they were on duty.
Nodal officer for teams involved in home isolation Dr Sampath Singh S Rangwale said that dealing with patients in slums, who were inexplicably reluctant to follow instructions, was yet another challenge. “So, we have to make frequent trips to those areas and repeatedly educate them on the need to follow precautions,” Dr Rangwale, expressing his appreciation for all the members of the teams.
DC Nitesh Patil too said that he was impressed with the work being done by the teams. “The district administration is behind Covid-19 patients, and members of all teams are committed to taking care of them. We will be adding six more teams to monitor those isolated at home,” Patil said.
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Caption: Dr Basavaraj Kamadolli checking blood saturation level of a patient who is under home quarantine in Hubballi on Tuesday