Government has shifted its focus on post-Covid complications and causes of deaths among Covid survivors following cases of ‘bone death’ and other severe health complications reported among Covid survivors in other States in India, health officials said on Sunday.
The health department has directed all 24 districts to send in data related to health disorders and casualties reported at the dedicated post-Covid care facilities to the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) every day in a bid to maintain records and identify trends.
The National Health Mission (NHM), in a letter addressed to the Deputy Commissioners, asked them to send details such as number of visits by Covid survivors, number of admitted patients, number of patients receiving physiotherapy, number of patients discharged and the number of fatalities at the post-Covid care centres every day by 5pm. As per the latest directive from the health department, the districts also need to mention the number of patients who were referred to “higher centres” from the post-Covid care centres for better treatment.
“No casualties have been reported in any of the post-Covid care centres so far, but we are closely monitoring the happenings every day and compiling data,” said the nodal officer appointed for post-Covid care centres, Dr. Ranjit Mandal.
A crippling condition called ‘bone death’ among Covid survivors has been reported in some parts of India lately. Avascular necrosis, a new health complication that causes the death of bone tissues, has been reported in some Covid survivors in Pune who were treated with high doses of steroids during Covid treatment.
Even though no cases of avascular necrosis have been reported in Jharkhand, doctors say that patients in the early stage of this condition may seek physiotherapy. Health experts monitoring physiotherapy at the post-Covid care centres may be able to diagnose bone death in patients depending on their symptoms and some tests such as X-Ray, doctors added.
Jharkhand has operational post-Covid care centres in all the 24 districts. Many cases of Covid-induced mucormycosis or black fungus also came to light at these centres earlier this year.
As per government data, as many as 3,46,279 Jharkhand residents have been infected by SARS-CoV-2 virus so far and more than 98 per cent of them have recovered.
Even those patients who do not need hospitalization for Covid treatment may suffer from severe ailments post-recovery and need medical attention, say doctors. Several cases of lung fibrosis and cardiovascular disease in Covid survivors were also reported in the state during the first as well as the second wave.