Doctors decry allegations on social media

Staff Reporter DIMAPUR, SEP 2 (NPN) : Doctors from several leading private hospitals in Dimapur including chief medical officer (CMO) of the District Hospital Dimapur(DHD)have strongly dismissed several allegations made on social media platforms particularly concerning Covid-19.

The medical fraternity came together to address a press conference held at CMO office Dimapur.

Nagaland Private Doctors Association (NPDA) president, Dr. Victo Wotsa, strongly reiterated that no hospital, whether private or government, was trying to make money out of Covid.

Dr. Wotsa said that the hospitals were instead, treating covid patients by sacrificing their own resources.

The NPDA president explained that there were many things involved in treating Covid patient such as when hospitals do not charge the patient for PPE suit worn by a sweeper when the latter goes in to the Covid ward. “The hospital is sacrificing in its bit by doing humanitarian work by taking care of Covid patients,” Dr. Wotsa stated.

He said that the medical fraternity, despite tirelessly working for the betterment of the society in the past 18 months through caring for Covid patients, has instead been at the receiving end many a times.

Dr. Wotsa pointed out that doctors have been trying their best, but, sometimes, due to stress and workload, doctors and nurses were sometimes not in a position to provide all the desired explanation expected by the patients.

Dismissing the allegations floating on social media platforms about Covid testing, Director Christian Institute of Health Sciences and Research (CIHSR), Dr. Sedevi Angami, said that there were three types of testing– Rapid Antigen Test (RAT), TrueNat and RT PCR test. As per the guidelines from the ministry of health, he said that a Covid positive once tested positive through any of three tests did not require to undergo retest.

Dr. Sedevi, however, said that if a patient was detected negative through RAT, and that the medical team finds high index of suspicion, it was necessary to go for higher Covid test, such as TrueNat or RT PCR test. He disclosed that RAT specificity was only around 45-50%. Dr Sedevi expressed regret that many people were of the assumption that doctors were trying to make money by doing repeated Covid tests without proper knowledge of testing kits and results.

He asserted that no doctor was keen to label a person as Covid patient and that many doctors and health workers had also died treating Covid patients.

On allegation on social media platforms, Dr. Sedevi reasserted that discussions on social media were very much one sided. He said allegations were made by people who were not well trained nor were professionals.

He said allegations on social media, whether true or false had great impact and also adverse results in breaking trust between medical fraternity and people and rendering it a lose-lose situation for all.

Further, Dr. Sedevi said that a suggestion was given to deputy commissioner Dimapur to create an impartial committee, consisting of professional, social worker or lawyer, to make enquiry into the allegations rampant in social media.

Also two doctors from Zion Hospital also refuted the allegations made by patient’s party following the demise of the patient. They stated that one specific patient did not allow the medical staff to sanitize the body even after testing positive for Covid.

The doctors said that as per the state government guidelines, if a Covid infected patient happened to die, the body was to be sprayed, cleaned and properly sealed.

They said that even the coffin was to be properly sanitised so there were minimal chances of spread of the virus.

The doctors demanded assurance from the state government to curb all such false allegations spread by people on social media platforms. “Damage has already been done, but we need assurance from the state government to curb the allegations made by certain individuals on social media platforms,” one of the doctors stated.

Asked whether the hospital authority had used social media platforms to counter the allegations, Dr. Sedevi said that the problem with social media was that there was no stoppage of allegations and rebuttals, which he described was “not healthy.”

On being asked whether the concerned hospital authority had lodged FIR against social media allegations, Dr. Sedevi said that CIHSR had filed a court case against the YouTuber, who had made allegations against the hospital.

A doctor from Zion Hospital said that the hospital would react as on when the need arose.

Earlier, CMO Dimapur, Dr. Moatemjen, said that the press conference was called not to find faults or counter allegations against those making allegations against the hospitals, but to caution people about half-baked knowledge from unverified sources.

Highlighting the Covid scenario in Dimapur, CMO informed that out of a total of 72,905 tests carried out since January, 7412 were tested positive with a positivity rate of 10.2% and death rate of 4.4%.

He said that a total of 922 tests were carried out on August 31, out of which 56 were tested positive. Dimapur presently has 337 active cases.

Students tested Covid positive

With schools and colleges resuming regular classes in the State, there has been reports about positive cases being reported in some institutions in Dimapur.

CMO Dimapur Dr. Moatemjen informed Nagaland Post that some students residing in school hostels had recently tested positive. He maintained that contact tracing was conducted and the students, who had tested positive, were sent for home isolation and those tested negative were advised for self-quarantine.

A health official said that it was unsafe for students to be attending regular classes. The official said that even though teachers and school staff were vaccinated, the students were not vaccinated, adding that chances of getting infected from outside the schools was very high.

Amid declining Covid cases across the country, many schools have again shut or postponed further from opening following positive cases being reported among students attending classes.

Source: http://www.nagalandpost.com/doctors-decry-allegations-on-social-media/239465.html