THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala is likely to send a second team of healthcare professionals to Maharashtra following a request from Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. In a letter to his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan, Thackeray made a plea to send ICU trained nurses, intensivists, anaethetists and pulmonologists, besides physicians.
According to Thackeray, his state has increased medical services and beds for Covid response and Kerala’s help was needed to strengthen the medical front-line forces. The Kerala chief minister’s office said the state was favourably considering the request. “A reply has been sent, seeking details of specific requirements. The health department will take follow-up steps,” said an official.
Dr Santhosh Kumar S S, deputy superintendent, Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital, led the first team of doctors from Kerala which served in Mumbai’s SevenHills Hospital run by the municipal corporation of Greater Mumbai. “There is a huge need for trained professionals as municipal corporations have started hospitals to deal with the rising number of cases. Now, they mostly need specialists, intensivists and the like to take care of critically ill patients,” he said. Kerala had sent a batch of 40 doctors and 35 nurses to Maharashtra. After 45 days of service they are scheduled to return home on July 15.