Pune health professionals, law enforcing, and administrative authorities tell ST how they been managing the situation during the pandemic.

In the beginning, there was panic. So patients themselves started teleconsultation. Later, the MMC laid down guidelines for telecommunications. Only specific patients who needed physical examination were coming to the hospital.

Travelling and transport from home to hospital was a problem for the patients as well as the staff. With the help of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), we sought permission for them.

Later, we sorted patients at the entry. Doctors saw patients with flu or fever in PPE kits. The doctors saw regular patients with face masks and face shields. Also, we followed and still follow social distancing and use sanitisers. The staff, as well as doctors, use PPE. We also clean the surfaces, doorknobs and handles after seeing every patient.

It is important to understand that hospitals and doctors are facing a lot of challenges. However, nothing has deterred them from working for the people.

Dr Meenakshi Deshpande,
Consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, high-risk Pregnancy consultant at Vatsalya hospital, Sinhagad Road

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Amidst the rise in confirmed COVID-19 cases, nurses, being on the frontlines of health care, find themselves making high-stakes decisions for patients and their selves. It’s a stressful time with uncertainties, and nurses are rising to the challenge. The role of nurses is to perform screenings, taking vitals, taking care of the ill, developing protocols, updating to families and attending to the dying. They are bound to be in PPEs throughout the duty period, and it is difficult for them to communicate with the fellow team members. It is frustrating at times, but a nurse must continue with the work.

While caring for patients, they need to be in quarantine; they need to follow daily self-care routine, keep themselves relaxed to reduce anxiety. It is the willingness to trade one’s freedom for the greater good of the public.

Sujith Kumar,
Chief of Nursing Services (CNS), Columbia Asia Hospital Pune

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The COVID-19 pandemic will overwhelm the already overburdened personnel working in the healthcare sector. Society needs to be empathetic towards the healthcare personnel. The availability of good quality PPEs is going to be a challenge as also using and disposing of them appropriately. As ‘urgent’ takes precedence over ‘important’, the entire system is focussed on prevention, diagnosis, treatment and containment of COVID-19 infection. It is likely to miss opportunities for timely diagnosis and treatment of other diseases. Patients of chronic diseases, being wary of going out, or facing difficulties in movement due to lockdown restrictions, might miss on treatment, and end up with long-term sequela. 

This can eventually increase the possibility of complications and worsening of the disease, raising the overall burden of diseases on the country to a certain extent. Postponement of elective surgeries and procedures could hurt the quality of life while the patients wait for the right time to get the treatment they need.

Dr Mahesh Lakhe, 
Infectious Diseases, Columbia Asia Hospital, Pune

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With clearly laid-down protocols, guidelines, continuous training, staff engagement and rigorous measures, including shift management, breaks, enhanced hygiene protocols, we are confident that we can handle this situation effectively. The first thing we did a couple of months back was to remove the fear and instil confidence with clarity and keep everybody motivated. The aim was to be able to continue the support and the care that you would normally provide, even under challenging circumstances. 

Nurses are not only responsible for monitoring progress and administering medications during their daily duties, but they also become trusted advocates for patients. The patients always want to talk to somebody about their symptoms and concerns, and nurses immediately become their supporters. We continue to harness this relationship. When the patients get discharged, they give very good feedback, they are happy, and that is what satisfies us.

Mariamma Jose, 
General Manager Nursing, Sahyadri Hospitals

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When the lockdown began, our work was of enforcement. We were ensuring that people remained at home, the shops were closed. We also facilitated companies who wanted to send laptops, computers etc. to allow their employees to work from home.

Now, the rules have been relaxed, and we are more into facilitating the travel of people who want to go to various districts within Maharashtra as well as to other states. Also, we are issuing passes for employees as now 33 per cent staff is allowed to go to the office.

During this period, the crime rate has come down drastically. According to the police control room reports, domestic violence calls have increased, but victims are not lodging FIRs.

However, after the wine shops were opened, street crimes (fights, assaults etc. are being reported.

Pankaj Deshmukh, 
DCP (Zone 4), who supervises work of six police stations Chatushrungi, Khadki, Vishrantwadi, Yerwada, Chandan Nagar and Vimantal.

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I report to work in the morning, and as per the senior officer’s instruction, I visit places where the crowd is expected. My task is to make sure that people do not gather in large numbers. We tell people about the lockdown and ensure that they stay indoors and do not come out unnecessarily. We also distribute ration kits to the people who are in need.

Mayur Bhokare, 
Constable, posted with Detection Branch (DB), Faraskhana police station, which is in containment zone. 

The work of the DB team is to keep a watch on criminals and nab accused persons whenever any major crime takes place. However, during the lockdown, apart from their existing role, DB has become a focal point in the police station when it comes providing food and ration to the needy people and controlling crowd.

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PMC administration managed to pinpoint patients and trace contacts because of the identification of containment areas. Contact tracing is one of the important exercises to detect patients and control COVID-19 spread.

We restricted the movement of people and managed to control the panic situation in the city. Earlier, we were using the resources randomly in the city, which was creating pressure on the administration. Now, we are utilising the resources on the micro-planning level. People were not following social distancing; therefore, we made micro containment areas in the city.

Now, there is a relaxation in 90 per cent areas of the city and people can restart services and small businesses. It is a result of containment area planning.

In containment areas, PMC and police closed all bylanes, roads and allowed only essential commodity services through the application. PMC is distributing ration kits so that people do not come out to purchase even essential things.

In containment areas, the corporation has made arrangements for isolation of patients in schools. A mobile van has been deployed for testing.

Shekhar Gaikwad,
Pune Municipal Commissioner