The home quarantine initiative, initiated earlier this month in Visakhapatnam district, is picking up pace with 101 COVID-19 patients being given the facility. Doctors said many of the patients have already recovered.
According to the doctors, there are some criteria to allow a person to stay in home quarantine. The person must have tested positive, should be young, educated and not having any health issues. He/she must be able to monitor body temperature, pulse, and oxygen levels whenever required as advised by doctors. Moreover, the patient should be living in an independent house which should have an attached bathroom. The facility will not be allowed if there are any elderly persons (over 60 years with health issues) or children below 10 years in the house.
“Doctors are working throughout the day on shifts and are enquiring about the health conditions of the patients. If the patient has video-calling facility, our doctors are interacting with them through video calls,” said District COVID-19 Officer P.V. Sudhakar.
Though the demand for home quarantine for people living in apartments is going up, the district administration is yet to take a call. Unlike in major cities, people living in apartments in the city are not given home quarantine. If any apartment resident tests positive, they are shifted to COVID-19 care centres or hospitals. In Visakhapatnam Urban region, most of the residents live in apartments. “Most of the apartment associations are objecting to the proposal as of now. Moreover, we are following the government protocol only. In case if there are any amendments in the rules in the coming days, we can implement that,” said Mr. Sudhakar.
A senior doctor from the city said that initiative needs to be taken first by the municipal corporation by conducting a meeting with the Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) and seeking their support in enforcing home quarantine. “The RWAs must ensure all help to the residents/families who test positive by supplying needs. Successful enforcement depends on active support and participation of citizens. Meanwhile, the civic body should ensure proper sanitation in that complex and sending staff with PPE kits to pick up medical wastes, if permissions are given,” he said.
