Telemedicine centred Control Room for Corona patients at JNMC
Aligarh: To ensure the proper and speedy management of Covid positive patients, a central Control Room equipped with telemedicine technology was set up at Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College (JNMC), Aligarh Muslim University (AMU). It helps consultants communicate with resident doctors and nursing staff in Covid Isolation ward as a nerve centre in JNMC’s fight against Coronavirus.
“Functioning round the clock, the integrated command and control centre is managing tasks on a real-time basis related to patient management,” said JNMC Principal, Prof Shahid Ali Siddiqui under whose supervision the Control Room is running.
He added that the control room proves to be instrumental in the fight against the deadly virus with technical experts and faculty members heading different committees like protocol, admin, welfare and the like.
Explaining the use of telemedicine technology in JNMC, Prof Siddiqui said, “It is perhaps one of the most significant changes to occur in health care as a result of the Coronavirus disease that telemedicine has suddenly reached the widespread adoption. JNMC and AMU recognises the necessity of telemedicine in light of the current crisis ? both to address increased treatment needs and to prevent unnecessary in-person contact.”
“It is also to be noted that the VRDL Lab of the Department of Microbiology headed by Professor Haris M Khan is doing commendable job by running Covid 19 tests round-the-clock in three shifts, catering not just to JNMC and Aligarh but the entire region of Western Uttar Pradesh,” he added.
According To Dr Abdul Waris, member, PR Committee, one patient out of the 10 admitted in the Covid-19 Isolation Ward tested negative, and one of the patients still remains in critical condition. Meanwhile, the Flu Clinic treats 40 patients daily.
JNMC has been declared a dedicated L2 Covid -19 hospital for the treatment of severe Coronavirus patients, but that has not put other healthcare services on halt as happening at different medical colleges and hospitals. The Department of TB and Respiratory Diseases has started a helpline number, 9412175925 on which Prof Zuber Ahmad will answer calls of TB patients from Monday to Thursday between 10: 00 am to 12 noon.
The Dr Ziauddin Ahmad Dental College and Hospital (ZADC) has also started telemedicine services as 36 of its dentists from various departments will answer phone calls from their residences of patients suffering with dental ailments. The patients in need of emergency treatments can visit Dental Emergency at JNMC Trauma Centre, said Prof R K Tiwari, Principal, ZADC.