Dr Moji Jini 

Corona Virus – 19 is spreading faster than before and this trend is likely to increase.  It has become a Sisyphean  task to keep track of source and spread of corona infection now.   Symptomatic cases of COVID-19 are soon going to overcrowd the TRIHMS’ Dedicated Covid Hospital (DCH), Chimpu. Symptomatic cases are trickling in from other parts of the state to TRIHMS’ Designated Covid Hospital (DCH), Chimpu.  Critical cases and deaths are also going to increase in the state.  
The existing manpower of TRIHMS has been stretched out and divided between TRIHMS Medical College Hospital, Naharlagun and   DCH, Chimpu. Authorities and health professionals are managing  two- Hospitals simultaneously which are 20 km away from each other. All facilities (and manpower) like ICU/Operation Theatre/ Labour room/ Neonatal ICU/Dialysis/ Radiology/ Laboratory/CSSD-Sterilisation are duplicated in both Hospitals.
Moreover, many Doctors, Nurses and other Staff infected by corona virus  have been quarantined for the safety of patients and health workers. The TRIHMS Hospital at Naharlagun is overcrowded as other private Hospitals in the Capital Complex are intermittently closed down following diagnosis of  COVID cases among their OPD and IPD patients. In fact some Doctors and staff from other private Hospitals of the Capital complex have been admitted at TRIHMS’ Dedicated COVID Hospital, Chimpu.
Thus  TRIHMS is delivering  its share of services  despite increasing  load of both COVID and non- COVID patients. Man power shortage is aggravated due to corona infection among Health workers. For fear of infection and increased burden of work, many Nurses and other staff have managed to get   leave and  transfer  orders.   Despondency, physical and mental fatigue now slowly showing up   among Health Workers.  

In spite of all the above, TRIHMS as the only Medical College and Tertiary care COVID Hospital in  need of the time have been able  to scramble equipment,  set up and adapt COVID treatment facilities many times over.   
As the designated “Centre of Excellence for COVID- 19 Management”  TRIHMS has  COVID-19 Expert Team which  formulates treatment protocol for COVID-19 treatment tailored for our state. The experience of the last couple of months has been very encouraging.    
TRIHMS and all its Health Workers will continue to stand like the rock of Gibraltar in the fight against COVID-19 till the end of the pandemic and beyond.  
But the least that can be done is to take cognizance of all the difficulties under which TRIHMS and its Health Workers are functioning and appreciate their efforts under the circumstances.  The same should also be said for all the other Health workers working in the field also. 
Now the COVID-19 pandemic is changing   from  local transmission to widespread infection it is  impossible to be contained by  social and public measures alone. While widespread testing, contact tracing, Social/physical  distancing, use of mask and hygiene, public education  must continue for  what they are worth,  but now time has come to  focus more on efforts  to minimise morbidity and mortality.  Early identification and confirmation of all symptomatic cases, providing appropriate therapeutic support at appropriate time will minimise suffering and death. 
This fight against COVID-19 cannot be and should not remain the fight of the Government or  the Administration or  the Health Department or TRIHMS alone. It must be concerted effort of all. But most importantly, it is the awareness and , cooperation of the people which  will immensely help the Health department and the state government  to dampen the spread of infection and minimise suffering and loss of life. Public being the major stakeholder should also own responsibility. In doing so, the people need to also recognise the efforts and the limitation of the state government and its machinery (Health Dept. and Administration etc.).
Private Health institutions need to  share the burden. Guidelines have been issued by the state government.
Finally, short of sounding self laudatory, one cannot but say that Arunachal Pradesh has been very fortunate to have on its side a three-year-old Medical College in the right time. Thanks to the State Government for making it happen.  Without a Medical College all the facilities and expertise available in the state today would have been impossible and Arunachal would have been beholden to neighbouring states like Assam and Meghalaya. One cannot imagine the nightmare that our people would have had to go through. The least all can do is to hail TRIHMS and support it from all corners.
(Writer is the Director, Tomo Riba Institute of Health and Medical Sciences, Naharlagun ) 

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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