Over 2.7 lakh patients, who have returned from hospitals or completed home isolation during the second wave of the pandemic in the city are set to get medical support and tele-medicine services from the Greater Chennai Corporation.
Corporation Commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi directed officers to start post-COVID-19 follow-up care for such residents in all 15 zones of the city.
Deputy Commissioner Alby John Varghese said the follow-up care would be done for three months. “Some people have complained about persisting issues. We are trying to address their concerns, which are remnants of the illness. If at all medical help is needed, that also needs to be arranged,” he said.
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A substantial proportion of patients continue to have symptoms long after they recover from the initial phases of the disease. Clinicians worldwide have dubbed these “long-haul COVID-19” or “long-term COVID-19.” The Corporation has started tracking the patients with “long-term COVID-19” who have not recovered completely over a period of 2-3 weeks.
The civic body has deployed a team of 100 volunteers, who will be involved in the tele follow-up of individuals who have recovered from COVID-19.
The callers will ask for symptoms and once a resident reports any, a consultation with the doctor of the tele-medicine team will be arranged. Residents who want psychosocial support will get counselling from a psychologist. Diet-related queries will be answered by dieticians.
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Residents will receive calls on post-COVID-19 follow-up from 9498015100/9498015200/9498015300/9498015400.
Residents who have been experiencing post-COVID-19 symptoms are requested to reach the Corporation’s tele-medicine service through the GCC VIDMED app and through WhatsApp on 9498346510/11/12/13/14.
Psychosocial support can be received on 044-46122300.