by Pankaj Yadav
NEW DELHI, April 19 (Xinhua) -- The Indian government is leaving no stone unturned to contain the COVID-19 pandemic spread in the country. Simultaneously, the private sector is working in tandem with the government offering requisite medical facilities for quarantine, isolation and ventilators.
The "Saraswathi Institute of Medical Sciences (SIMS)", a private Medical College-cum-Hospital in the Hapur district of northern state of Uttar Pradesh, has successfully cured a 71-year-old Thai national despite a huge language barrier.
While the patient could not speak Hindi or English, neither of the doctors, or other health workers, at SIMS knew Thai language.
Discharged from SIMS on Saturday, the Thai national, identified as Daha Dasae, had come to India last month to participate in the "Tablighi Jamaat (TJ)", the annual congregation of Muslims at Delhi-based Nizamuddin mosque. Later, he moved to a village in Hapur district, and stayed there till he was picked up for COVID-19 testing.
Thousands of people, including from overseas, had gathered at Delhi's Mosque for the annual event, despite strict guidelines from the Centre and Delhi state government to maintain social distancing.
It was too late when many of them were found suffering from COVID-19, as most of them had already travelled and returned to their respective homes in India. Along with local Indians, many foreigners also travelled to many parts of the country to spread "TJ" teachings, it was discovered later.
When the news spread about TJ participants spreading to different parts of India, a hunt was launched to track them down. In one such effort as many as four Thai nationals were found at a village in Hapur district. All of them were tested for COVID-19, so did Daha Dasae. Soon he was sent to SIMS.
Speaking to Xinhua, SIMS Principal R.C. Purohit said that the patient was brought to the institute on March 31. "Once he tested positive we kept him in the Isolation Ward for 14 days. After that he was tested twice and he tested negative. We discharged him on Saturday and handed him over to the district administration," said Purohit
According to him, the Institute has enough COVID-19 facilities, including 100 isolation beds, 10 ventilators, and 50 quarantine beds. "At present we have about 70 patients kept under quarantine. For testing we send samples to the government-run Lala Lajpat Rai Memorial Medical College in the nearby Meerut district," he said, adding that they are working in tandem with the district administration and close coordination with the local chief medical officer for COVID-19 control.
Confirming that the Thai national was fully cured and discharged from SIMS, Hapur's Chief Medical Officer Rekha Sharma said the patient was admitted at the private Institute on March 31 after tested positive for COVID-19. "We have identified three private medical colleges, including SIMS, in the district for building up medical facilities to cure COVID-19 patients. The private colleges and institutes are extending crucial medical services amid these critical circumstances," she added.
According to her, now the Thai national was kept in a quarantine cell arranged by the district administration.
As per the latest figures released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, as many as 507 people have died of coronavirus and there are over 15,700 positive cases in India, and 2231 people have been fully cured and discharged from hospitals across the country.
India continues to be under Lockdown. A 21-day Lockdown was there with effect from March 25, and it was subsequently extended till May 3.
While announcing the extension of lockdown on April 14 for another 19 days, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that some relaxations could be given from April 20 in those areas where no fresh cases are reported and people strictly follow lockdown restrictions. Enditem
