Team Herald
MARGAO: He was in the forefront being a warrior of a different kind. He may not have cured COVID patients or saved lives but perhaps did something more important. He has bust myths and stigmas around COVID.
He single-handedly led efforts to ensure that CIVOD death victims got decent final rites as per their religious customs and advised family and friends on how they could safely participate in the last journey of their loved ones.
He is now conducting awareness campaigns by personally speaking in villages and small towns. Now, the Associate Professor of forensics at GMC posted at Hospicio, Dr Madhu Gaude Ghodkirekal has proposed an action plan on the advice of Civil/health authorities.
His plan includes awareness support materials and temporary stay arrangements at panchayat level for the patients.
Dr Gaude has proposed an awareness programme in respective wards under the guidance of the sarpanch. He suggests that the village panchas should take initiatives to arrange awareness.
As the cases increase and the government has allowed home quarantine, Dr Gaude has expressed a need for temporary stay arrangements during home quarantine period.
This assumes significance in the context of the fact that, many families may not have the space and facility to do home quarantine, without putting others at risk.
He added that the panch members may identify such places in their ward for such arrangement for residents for their respective ward residence.
“The list of such places/premises, panchayat shall inform civil/health authorities permission to use such premises for stay of families during home quarantine period. To start with, the community hall of panchayat can be used for this purpose, after necessary permissions from health authorities, till the time the government decides to use this hall for other purposes under Disaster Management Act” he suggested.
Dr Gaude has also pitched for the need to make available some basic support materials for the residents of the panchayat, by making available at least one Pulse Oximeter available in each ward, so that on the basis of oxygen levels can be checked and a decision on hospitalisation taken.
He also suggested, “Make Personal protective equipment (PPE) kits available in each ward of the panchayat, since COVID patients will need the help of others when they need to move to a place or a care centre”.
Importantly, he expressed the need to make available transparent body bags in case of sudden deaths in the panchayat area. “Transparent body bags should be provided so that the spread of infection while handling a dead body is prevented,” he added.
Doctor Madhu also said that there will be a need to review the action plan on a regular basis.
