KOCHI: To address staff shortage faced by local bodies at Covid centres, LSG Department has decided to appoint staff of ayurveda, homoeo hospitals as nodal officers, but they will administer only allopathy medications
In an effort to ride over the manpower crisis at Covid care centres in the state, the Local Self Government Department (LSGD) has decided to rope in Ayush (Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy) practitioners for Covid-19 duty at Covid-19 First-Line Treatment Centres (CFLTCs). Spiralling Covid-19 cases have prompted the state government and health authorities to integrate Ayush practitioners in the fight against the infection. The plan is to appoint Ayush staff as nodal officers to manage the CFLTCs across Kerala. The 164 Ayush hospitals in the state comprise 666 doctors while an additional 1,486 practitioners are stationed at various dispensaries.
Panchayat Department director P K Jayashree told TNIE that medical officers of Ayush dispensaries and hospitals in every taluk would be roped in for managing CFLTCs providing medical care for asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic patients. As per reports, around 60 to 70 per cent of cases registered in the state fall under the mild category and require only minimal medical care. According to her, Ayush staff would be competent to manage asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic patients.
“Some local bodies are facing staff shortage. Ayush practitioners will be able to resolve the crisis at many of these facilities. The number of CFLTCs is multiplying as the caseload is going up substantially everyday. Without resources, it would be difficult to run these facilities. Ayush staff will be able to cater to patients needing minimal care. However, the treatment protocol will not be changed. We will still be following the allopathy medications,” said Jayashree. A meeting was held on Thursday between LSGD and Ayush authorities to chalk out the implementation plan.
Currently, 77 CFLTCs with a total of 10,078 beds are operational in the state. The government is planning to further increase the number of beds to 50,000 in the next two weeks. As per the data available with the health authorities, 4,964 Covid-19 positive patients are undergoing treatment in Kerala as of Wednesday while 88 people were waiting for test results.
According to guidelines, each CFLTC with a bed strength of 25 to 100 should have eight doctors, 12 staff nurses, three pharmacists, 10 cleaning staff, six health volunteers and three security guards. These facilities would be set up in the radius of the Covid care centres. “All personnel will work in shifts. We are also planning to rope in dental doctors and homeopathy practitioners for the job soon. We will be giving them training,” said a senior official involved in CFLTC management.
According to officials, the effort of the state health authorities to hire more junior doctors for running CFLTCs failed as not many were willing to join the posts. “The stipulation of undergoing quarantine in the same facility before assuming duty was a deterrent for many,” said the official. An official of Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital, the only tertiary Covid care centre in the state, said they requested for 50 junior doctors and the authorities could only arrange five doctors.
Staff requirement at CFLTCs with bed strength of 25 to 100
Doctors: 8
Staff nurses: 12
Pharmacists: 3
Cleaning staff: 10
Healthcare volunteers: 6
Security guards: 3
Number of Ayush hospitals: 164
Number of doctors at hospitals: 666
Number of doctors at Ayush dispensaries: 1,486
Number of CFLTCs in the state: 77
Total bed
strength: 10,078
Targeted bed
strength: 50,000