We need to demystify fear of Covid-19 —NMC president

Our Correspondent

Kohima, April 22 (EMN): A senior medical professional has expressed concern over dead bodies of Covid-19 victims not being respected and honoured, describing it as “very sad situation”, and that it is because of fear and lack of knowledge.

“We need to demystify fear,” said president of Nagaland Medical Council (NMC) Dr. Joyce Angami (Rtd.) on Wednesday, while pointing out that fear is causing lot of problems.

Angami made the statement days after a doctor, who died of coronavirus in Shillong, was denied final rites at two locations before a village offered place for either burial or cremation as a mark of respect for the deceased service to the society.

She said that NMC will try to develop some information communication material in the form of graphic representations where people can see, and not necessarily read. “Once we are able to do that, we will be able to demystify Covid-19,” she said.

 “What is really important is that each one of us becomes an inter-personal communicator communicating to the general population, to family members, and neighbours (about Covid-19),” she said.

The NMC also informed that it was willing to extend voluntary services to all the districts in Nagaland, provided there are medical volunteers present in the respective areas.

 “The reason why we started with this is because there were volunteers in four districts (Kohima, Wokha, Dimapur, and Mokokchung),” Angami told journalists in Kohima on Wednesday. She added that as and when the need arises and depending on the availability of the volunteers, “we will extend our service”.

As of now, there are two centres one each in Kohima and Dimapur, providing consultation services to outpatients.

 “Hopefully, the team will be travelling to Wokha to set up OPD services as there are few volunteers there,” she said. In Mokokchung, they were informed that a centre would be set up under the guidance of another retired medical professional. Similarly, “we felt that we need to set up in other places,” she added.

In Kohima, the consultation services to outpatients are being provided at Para Medical Training Institute and Agri Forest sub-centre from Monday to Friday starting at 10 am till 1 pm. As of April 22, it has received seven patients with minor illnesses.

A list of volunteers was provided to NMC by the state’s Health department with majority of them in their final year of MBBS and interns. She said that there are about thirty of them in Kohima while there are nine in Dimapur at present and is expecting for more people to sign up.

Quite a few of them are retired medical professionals, providing guidance to the younger ones as they are not qualified to prescribe medicines. They are also expecting more patients to show up as message of the availability of the services goes around, she said. “As long as it is required, the team will be providing voluntary services,” Angami added.

Sharing about her experience of working with young medical students, she described it as “beautiful”. She said that senior doctors would be sharing their experiences of working under various challenges in the past like HIV and AIDS.

Retired doctor and former State Disability Commissioner, Atha Vizol, said that he felt the need to provide his service to the people. As soon as he heard the news of the Health department asking for voluntary services, he along with his daughter, who is in her final year MBBS, signed up, he shared.

Meanwhile, MBBS graduate Vekhotso Nyekha, who is stationed at the Agri Forest sub-centre, said that six patients, having illnesses such as gastritis, joint pains, allergy etc., came on Tuesday. However, due to rain, people did not turn up on Wednesday, he added.

In the meantime, Home Commissioner Abhijit Sinha has said in an update that the OPD services provided by the NMC in partnership with the department of Health and Family “is in addition to the arrangement of specialist consultation in urban primary health centres being provided by the government doctors”. “Meanwhile routine services will continue in all other non-Covid health centres and PMJAY services in empanelled private hospitals so that the normal Health delivery is not affected,” he added.