THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala , which is feeling the heat due to a steady spike in Covid-19 cases and a dearth of healthcare workers to manage them, is setting up Domiciliary Covid Care Centres (DCCC). Being run by staff nurses, DCCCs will replace the Covid First-Line Treatment Centres (CFLTCs). Domiciliary centres admit asymptomatic patients who are unable to opt for home isolation due to psychosocial issues. CFLTCs with less than 100 beds are being converted into DCCCs and those having more facilities into Covid Second Line Treatment Centres (CSLTC).
Details on the number of CFLTCs that can be converted into DCCCs from each district are being gathered. As per the health department’s statistics, 180 active CFLTCs are functioning in the state and nearly 270 doctors are deployed in those facilities. Eleven domiciliary centres have already been set up in as many block panchayats in Palakkad district and patients shifted to the one in Koppam, according to officials.
The government decided to start domiciliary centres across the state, under local bodies, after it found the staff crunch to be the biggest hurdle to keep the mortality rate in check and manage Category C (high risk) patients. “Asymptomatic patients have been asked to seek treatment at their homes.
But if they don’t have the necessary facility to do so, then they’ll be moved to the domiciliary centres,” said Dr Mary Jyothi, a nodal officer in Palakkad. “Eight districts have got back to us and 38 new facilities have been identified for setting up DCCCs. Staff nurses will manage these centres. If any patient develops complications, he/she will be immediately transferred to the nearest second-line treatment centre,” an official told TNIE.
New centres to help manage manpower judiciously
Authorities believe DCCCs can help them manage human resources more judiciously. As on Monday, 45,259 patients in state are under home isolation while 29,231 are at Covid hospitals.“Asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic patients are otherwise healthy and they require only daily monitoring.
The state is recommending home isolation for such patients, but some of them can’t opt for home isolation because of psychosocial issues. One of the criteria is that the patient needs a toilet-attached room for home isolation and some may not have that. Those patients will be admitted to domiciliary care centres,” said an official managing a domiciliary centre at Angamaly.(With inputs from A Satish in Palakkad)