Docs take up consultation via social media, ensure social distancing

TNN | Mar 27, 2020, 04.55 AM IST

Madurai: Doctors are finding ways to communicate with their patients using technology and social media during this period of social distancing, thereby ensuring that people are not unwontedly exposed to harm. They are monitoring patients, following up and also calming them down through video calls and chats.

Geriatrician Dr N Raja has started consulting his patients through video on WhatsApp. “I shut my clinic for consultation four days back after the Prime Minister ordered the country to go into lockdown. Soon after, I started anxious calls from my patients,” he said.

One of his patients who is undergoing treatment for rheumatoid arthritis wanted to know if it was safe to continue with his medication as he had read that it has side effects. “This is because the patient was overloaded with information on quinone, a name that has been making rounds since the (Covid-19) crisis started,” he said.

Another patients of his had read that the drugs he was taking for hypertension could make him susceptible to the deadly virus. “This is when I ask them to come on a video call and reassure them to take the drug for another month,” he said, adding that he and many other private practitioners do not want to expose patients to any unwanted infection, and hence suggested those on long term medication to continue for another month.

Gynaecologist Dr Revathy Janakiram said she was using social media to provide free consultation to keep them comfortable. “I have a staff nurse and an office assistant in my clinic in case there is an emergency delivery, otherwise I speak to them over WhatsApp, prescribe necessary medicines and follow up after six hours to know how they are doing,” she said. For now, her relief is that most of the deliveries of her patients are scheduled for the first week of April.

K M G Vivekanandham, 66, a patient, said consulting over the phone was a relief. “Being connected with your doctor at times like this is a boon as telephone consulting is the only solution here,” he said.

Dr Raja adds, “Most of my patients have ailments like diabetes and hypertension and many are equipped with devices to know their blood sugar levels and pressure. Hence, counselling them to continue with medication is not a problem. It is only people who do not have monitors that is a matter of concern.” Many private practitioners are also working round-the-clock, like the counterparts in government service, over the phone. “We cannot afford to ignore the calls, so have to answer them,” the doctors said.

HC asks TN to consider plea on creating posts in med college hosps

TNN | Mar 27, 2020, 04.56 AM IST

Madurai: Madras high court has directed the state government to consider a representation on a plea moved by seven people to finalize the proposal regarding creation of emergency care technician posts’ in government medical college hospitals in the state.

The petitioners have completed certificate course for the post of emergency care technicians from 2005 onwards. According to the petitioners, they are well trained in handling both surgical and medical emergencies such as handling high-end mechanical ventilators, dialysis machine, multipara monitor, ECG, nebulization machine, plasmapheresis. The petitioners are continuously requesting the state government to create such posts as it would create employment opportunity to people like them.

Based on the request of the petitioners, the secretary to the government of health and family welfare department in his proceedings on January 30, 2019 had forwarded a proposal to the director of medical education to ascertain the need for creation of such posts in all medical colleges.

In response to the same, the director of medical education has issued a proceedings seeking for a proposal regarding creation of such posts.

Though the petitioners have sent a representation to the authorities seeking to finalize the proposal for creation of the posts, no steps were taken. Hence, the petitioners moved the high court Madurai bench.

Hearing the plea, justice J Nisha Banu observed that by considering the limited prayer sought for in this petition, the state government is directed to dispose of the representation submitted by the petitioners by taking note of the proceedings of the director of medical education.

Covid-19 in Tamil Nadu: Governor, leaders urge people to follow complete lockdown

Mar 25, 2020, 02.47 PM IST

CHENNAI: A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced nationwide lockdown for 21 days starting at midnight on Tuesday, Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit and various political party leaders asked people to stay at their homes.

People who have been instructed to undergo home quarantine must follow it scrupulously. People should not put their lives and those of their near and dear ones in danger. People should keep social distancing, but at the same time should not panic, said Purohit in a statement.

The governor said all essential commodities would be provided by the state government. Noting that it was a challenging situation, he said spread of Covid-19 could be checked only if people stayed at home and broke the chain.

The state government was taking all efforts to control the spread of the virus. It was also doing everything possible to support vulnerable sections of society, he said and added, “I appreciate the state government for taking many proactive steps. I have full trust in the people of Tamil Nadu, let's fight this challenge together”.

DMK president M K Stalin, in a Facebook post, welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement. “I welcome the lockdown for 21 days announced by the Prime Minister. Let us ourselves follow social distancing to prevent the virus from spreading further,” said Stalin.

He said there was no other way to escape from the infection. By fully cooperating with the lockdown, each individual would be safeguarding himself as well as the country, said Stalin.

PMK founder S Ramadoss asked housewives to take charge and implement complete lockdown. No one should be allowed to venture out of their homes, he said. VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan also urged people to stay indoors.

Treat your pets like family during lockdown, say experts

TNN | Mar 26, 2020, 12.00 AM IST

Pet parents in Tamil Nadu are in a fix. With misinformation doing the rounds that pet animals can spread COVID-19, animal lovers are perturbed. Adding fuel to the fire was the report that two dogs had tested positive for Coronavirus in Hong Kong. In India, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in Maharashtra and other civic bodies had put up hoardings asking people to stay away from pets as a precautionary measure. All this led to people abandoning their furry friends. Though health officials have stated that there is no evidence of animal to human transmission of the virus, it seems some people are not in a mood to listen.

Humane Animal Society, an animal welfare organisation in Coimbatore, has been flooded with calls asking them to take their pets in the shelter. “We have got a number of calls, but we are trying to educate people that the disease doesn’t spread from animals. This is the time for social distancing from people not animals,” says Mini Vasudevan, founder of the organisation.

Michael Abraham of CSK Pet Point, Mylapore, in Chennai, says that he, too, received calls from people asking him to help find a shelter for their pets. “These are people who are going back to their home town from Chennai following the lockdown,” he says.

Animal lovers bear the brunt

“My owner has asked me to move out of the house,” laments Anusha R (name changed), who recently moved to Delhi from Coimbatore. “The only reason being that I have a dog. I tried to explain to her that dogs cannot spread the virus, but in vain.” R Kannan from Gomathipuram in Madurai, on the other hand, has been missing his morning jog with his dog, Veenu. “It’s tough to keep her inside the house. She looks dull. We both need a break.”

There’s good news, too

However, Reshmi Anil Giri, a resident of Prince Highlands, Iyyappanthangal, says that she is glad her gated community is understanding of pets. “Before moving here, the first thing I checked was whether they allowed pets or not. The residents in the apartment are friendly with pets, but I stopped taking her out, to be on the safer side,” she says.

Pets don’t spread Coronavirus

Ask Dr Chinny Krishna, co-founder of Blue Cross of India, about the concerns among pet owners and he says, “Organisations like The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) have sent notifications saying that pets don’t spread Coronavirus."

There is no cross-transmission, says another veterinarian. “Only Section 144 has been imposed. You can take your dog out and go for a walk. Just ensure that you take all the precautionary measures while you do that,” he adds.

Dr G Venu Gobal, veterinary surgeon at JSR pet multi-speciality hospital, Coimbatore, says that pet owners need not panic. “All you need to do for the next 10-15 days is to restrict the movement of dogs outside the house. If you step out, you will be at risk of contracting the virus. It’s advisable to avoid food from outside as well and instead, feed them homemade food.”

No clarity on whether pet shops should be open or not

Pet store owner Michael Abraham feels that pet shops should be open during lockdown. “If pet shops are closed, many animals will suffer. My shop is located in Mylapore and I have regular customers, who buy food for stray dogs during their morning walk and feed them. This will completely stop and the dogs would go hungry,” he says.

Agreeing with him is another pet store owner in Anna Nagar. “We still have no clarity on whether the shops should be open or not. We have to get clarity from the Pet Shops Association. We have birds and small animals inside the store and we are really worried about them,” he says.

When quizzed if there has been an increase in sales after the announcement of lockdown, Michael says, “We received many calls for kitten food. As far as dogs are concerned, you need not worry as you can feed them most of the human food.”

Ensure to take precautionary measures, say experts

Dr Chinny Krishna asks pet lovers to take precautionary measures. “Wash the paws of dogs after you come back home from their walk. Social distancing is applicable to pets as well. Ensure that they do not come in close contact with other animals or people when taken outside.” Mini Vasudevan adds, “This is the time to be there for the animals. All you need to do is practise basic hygiene and not allow them near an unknown person.”

Advisory from Animal Welfare Board of India

A large number of pet shops or animal breeding facility where animals and birds are kept for sale are now shut down due to lockdown/curfew. The animals stranded in such places are likely to suffer and die without food, water and temperature control. All such pet shops are to be evacuated by the State Animal Welfare Boards through SPCAs (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty Against Animals). It is requested to kindly issue necessary directions to all district authorities to check the pet shops in the locality for searching of animals, if any and evacuate them.

Coronavirus fallout: Tamil Nadu students want Neet put off to June

TNN | Mar 26, 2020, 07.07 AM IST

The crisis triggered by Covid-19 has hit preparations for National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test, scheduled for May 3, with students and teachers saying the Centre should put off the test till at least June. Many coaching institutes had even planned to start a crash course from Wednesday.

Catherine Cressey, a Class XII student from city, said if Neet was held as per schedule, state board students would find it very difficult. "We have just finished our board exams. This is a crucial period and we are not able to interact with the trainers," she said.

"We are not able to clarify doubts with teachers. Compared to pen and paper mode test, we could not take online test that serious as there was no time limit," said M S Cyrus, a state board student from Tambaram. He said they needed at least one and half months for.

While T Manmadhan, who attended government-sponsored coaching classes at Government Higher Secondary School in MGR Nagar, wanted Neet postponed to either June or July, Nisha Rajendran, who also attended coaching classes, said all the news about the corona virus crisis was disturbing and putting off the test would help students prepare with a relaxed mindset and improve their performance.

Some principals said if exams were held as scheduled, students of CBSE and other boards would be at an advantage as Neet is based on NCERT syllabus and they don't need special coaching. "Our students [those following state board]would start intense preparation only after board exams," said N Vijayan, senior principal, Zion Group of Schools.

Tamil Nadu: Stay home or 1 lakh could be in hospital

TNN | Mar 26, 2020, 04.07 AM IST

CHENNAI: We will have to pay a heavy price for violating the Covid curfew. A mathematical model has predicted that up to 60,000 people may land up in hospitals across Tamil Nadu when the disease peaks in May and that is the best case scenario, say officials in the state Covid-19 control room. In the worst case, the number may touch one lakh.

The numbers are approximate, based on the model prepared by the Centre For Disease Dynamics, Economics and Policy (CDDEP) in association with the Johns Hopkins. “They have estimated the scenarios for Kerala, Karnataka, UP, Telangana and Delhi. We are using a rough calculation and taking a number between Telangana and Maharashtra,” said a senior health official.

On Wednesday, Telangana, which has a population of 39.64 million, recorded 39 cases, while Maharashtra, with a population of 126 million, had 107. TN, with 81.5 million people, had 18 covid-19 positive cases. The analysis showed that India might end up with 13 crore to 25 crore Covid-19 infections – symptomatic, asymptomatic and hospitalization -- and between 12 lakh and 25 lakh people may require hospitalisation. “We have asked them for an exclusive report for Tamil Nadu,” said health secretary Beela Rajesh. Other recommendations in the report will stay valid, officials said. The report says most infected cases will be mild. Infections will peak between April and May, when the most number of people will be hospitalised.

Government and private hospitals have been asked to increase bed strength, and district collectors and civic bodies to identify buildings that can be used for isolation and quarantine. Hospitals have been asked to drastically cut patient service and elective surgeries.

The CDDEP guidance report on COVID-19 in India is based on evidence from the India SIM Model – an agent-based model of the Indian population. Scientists fitted the model to available data from China and Italy under three scenarios –high, moderate and low infection.

National containment, it says, may no longer be an option for India, as community transmission of the virus most likely started in early March. “However, state or local (temporary) containment and mitigation is the best option,” it said. Tamil Nadu has found contacts of people who have travelled abroad being infected. Health minister C Vijayabaskar says they are doing their best to stop community transmission of the disease. Experts point out that social distancing can reduce this peak load by as much as 75% although this may be hard to enforce in India, the study points out.

Encouraging early testing, it says people should follow social distancing more seriously. Director of public health Dr K Kolandasamy said disinfecting surfaces and hand hygiene should be practised along with social distancing. “This will have more impact than lockdowns,” he said.

There is also hope that increase in temperature and humidity should help us in reducing case load, although the report warns there could be multiple peaks on the graph.

Chennai: Social distancing non-existent at corporation shelters as migrants queue up for food

TNN | Mar 26, 2020, 07.18 AM IST

CHENNAI: More than a hundred migrant workers housed at the community hall in Singanna Street, Chintadripet, had to queue up, near the entrance, for food on Wednesday. With nobody enforcing social distancing restrictions, the workers were all standing back to back with a steel plate in their hands waiting for their chance to get food from a big basket.

The food was being provided by a local NGO, and when asked why they couldn't provide them food in packets instead of making them stand in a queue, "We didn't have time to pack the food. But we usually give lunches in packets and breakfast and dinners in plates," said Nirmal Marlecha, one of the volunteers, who with his friends has been feeding the migrants for the last three days.

Thousands of these workers were moved to eight different community halls across the city from the Central station. However, since they moved, complaints have been rife about basic facilities like toilets, sanitation and most importantly lack of safety aid.

At the shelter, more than 100 workers have to cram to sleep and get food.

"The concept of distance doesn't exist," said a supervisor of one of the shelters. He added that the people were supposed to get food from Amma canteen, but several NGOs and volunteers have been coming in to provide food instead. "They have permission from the authorities. But there should be a protocol to follow while distributing food, it is not being followed," he said.

On Wednesday, G Prakash, the commissioner of the corporation, banned NGOs, volunteers and distribution agencies from supplying food to anyone in the city. He pointed out that these are sources of spreading the virus and those who continue to engage in these activities will be dealt with stricter as per the provisions of law.

A corporation official said said, "The food will be sourced either from the Amma Canteens or we shall appoint a separate cook for the shelter," the official said.