Cameras to monitor COVID-19 patients in isolation wards

Specialists in ICU Care Centre to review affected remotely

The government has decided to install high-quality cameras at all isolation wards in the State to create uniform treatment protocol and close monitoring of every single COVID-19 patient, Medical Education Minister K. Sudhakar has said.

After chairing a review meeting on COVID-19 situation he was speaking to presspersons in Kalaburagi on Sunday.

Dr. Sudhakar said that the State government launched Tele-ICU service two months ago and now, by installing cameras at isolation centres which will be connected to an ICU Care Centre at Bengaluru, from where critical care specialists will monitor a patient’s condition and review him remotely through an online monitor.

“Both the Tele-ICU and installation of cameras will go hand-in-hand and help doctors in creating a uniform treatment protocol, reducing alarm response time,” he added. Providing COVID-19 data, Dr. Sudhakar said that the death rate due to coronavirus in the State was 1.1 percent, which is lower than the national figure of 2.8 %. The State’s recovery rate is 53.4 percent. As much as 94% of active cases are asymptomatic, he added.

“Cumulatively, 4,35,458 tests have been done so far, of which 6,824 tested positive for COVID-19. Of those who tested positive, 3,648 people have recovered. As on June 13, there were 3,176 active cases in the State of which only 188 of them are symptomatic and 2,988 people are asymptomatic for the infection. Around 94 % of active cases do not have COVID-19 symptoms. Of the 188 patients, only 15 of them are in ICU across the State — 11 in Bengaluru, two in Bidar and one each in Kalaburagi and Mandya district.” he explained.

Initially, there were only two COVID-19 testing laboratories, now the State government has set up 71 laboratories. So far, Kalaburagi district has reported 833 cases, of which 780 cases were reportedly migrants who returned from other States. Only 97 cases have been reported in the district.

Refuting the allegations that the State government had delayed in bringing back migrants stranded in other States, Dr. Sudhakar said that the State was the first to impose lockdown and limit the COVID-19 outbreak with aggressive surveillance and quarantine strategy.

He also directed the officials of the Health and Family Welfare Department to create awareness among the people about the revised guidelines for quarantine and encourage them to visit fever clinics.

Replying to a query, Dr. Sudhakar said that as per the regulations of the Indian Council of Medical Research all medical colleges and hospitals should have COVID-19 testing laboratory.