With a steady rise in Covid cases, civic body asks local doctors to refer suspected cases
A health worker tests a citizen at a health centre in Dadar
Mumbai has seen a 76 per cent surge in Covid-19 cases in the past week, and the BMC is set to take the help of general physicians and practitioners, often regarded as family doctors, to arrest the spread of the disease by reaching out to suspected patients.
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As per the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, the city reported 519 cases between April 17 and 24 as compared to 294 between April 10 and 16. Though the numbers are not as high as that in Delhi which is reporting almost 1,000 cases per day, the BMC has started taking steps to prevent a severe fourth wave. As part of this, the civic body is again emphasising on screening, testing, treatment, and vaccination.
Additional Municipal Commissioner Suresh Kakani said, “Once again, the BMC is getting in touch with general practitioners and family doctors operating in slum areas as the residents tend to visit the doctors in their vicinity and not government hospitals for fear of testing positive. This means several patients do not get identified and become spreaders. With the help of the doctors, we can stop the spread to a certain extent.”
BMC Executive Health Officer Dr Mangla Gomare said, “All family doctors and general practitioners have been instructed at the ward level to send anybody suspected to have contracted Covid-19 to the nearest civic testing centre.” “People have faith in the doctors they generally visit, so we are taking their help to diagnose and treat patients,” she added.
Dr Zahid Khan, general secretary of the United Medical Association—an organisation of general practitioners working in slum areas, welcomed the decision and said, “We will be in constant touch with the BMC and will encourage people suspected of Covid to go for testing.” Indian Medical Association-Maharashtra President Dr Suhas Pingle said, “It is the right step taken by the BMC. Once again IMA is ready to lend every support to curb the spread of the virus.”
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