Covid-19: How Kalaburagi, Udupi tamed the tide

BENGALURU: The gamechanger in Udupi, which has reported only one Covid-19 death, is the case management by proactive district administration, expert clinical management of highrisk patients and greater coordination at Dr TMA Pai Hospital, according to Dr Giridhara R Babu, epidemiologist.
“Nearly 98% of cases in Udupi district are imported from Mumbai, Telangana and the Gulf. The district administration is proactive in identifying, tracking, and quarantining the returnees.They tested the vulnerable returnees on priority and identified cases early,” he said.
Dr TMA Pai Hospital, Udupi, associated with Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) and a dedicated Covid-19 facility, has been handed over to the government during the pandemic situation.
“The hospital is, perhaps, the only private hospital in Karnataka to become a designated Covid-19 hospital, thanks to MAHE. Allocation of clinical expertise, manpower and resources was unhindered. Hence, close monitoring of vulnerable patients and timely escalation of care was possible. With a fully functional ICU, OT and with most of the general beds also with central oxygen supply, it is a well-equipped hospital for Covid-19 management,” he told TOI.
“The Udupi facility has treated 150 symptomatic patients. All asymptomatic cases are admitted to Covid-19 care centres, which are taluk hospitals and hostels. For 70 % of the 125 total beds, we have provided oxygen supply, which is the main treatment required. The district administration is supportive in all steps,” said Dr Shashikiran Umakanth, head of the department of medicine, Dr TMA Pai hospital, Udupi.
In Kalaburagi which has seen 11 Covid-19 deaths, critical patients in ICU care have been moved from Yadgir too. Besides a team of intensivists and critical-care medicine from Gulbarga Institute of Medical Sciences, help from Bengaluru’s top hospitals helped in monitoring of the cases.
“Initially, there were issues with the clinical management with severely ill patients in Kalaburagi too. We started conducting tele-ICU rounds where experts from Bengaluru’s hospitals started monitoring each patient in ICU from Kalaburagi and other districts,” said Dr KV Trilok Chandra, special officer for high-risk Covid-19 cases in Karnataka.