Take the sick to hospital on time call raisedMany brought dead/critical stage : Dr Palin

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Oct 22: Out of 20 individuals who had succumbed to COVID-19 at Shija Hospital, eight had died before reaching the hospital while some of the other victims reached the hospital in very critical conditions, said Shija Hospital managing director Dr Palin.
Talking with The Sangai Express, Dr Palin said that many COVID-19 patients were brought to the hospital only at the very late stage for fear of stigmatisation and discrimination or because of economic problems but the chances of successful treatment are severely compromised when the patients were brought to hospital only after their conditions worsened to critical stages.
Mentioning that the COVID-19 victims included well-known personalities as well as health workers, Dr Palin expressed keen desire for the Government to pay special attention to this unfolding situation.
Shija Hospital has treated around 100 COVID-19 patients and many of them have been discharged after recovery. It is highly desirable for every COVID-19 positive person to go for necessary treatment as early as possible instead of concealing their infection, Dr Palin said.
He also highlighted the need to raise the number of daily COVID-19 test and create extensive awareness about the pandemic and its protective measures.
Head of Department, Psychiatry, RIMS Dr RK Lenin  remarked that there may be many cases COVID-19 infection being concealed for fear of stigmatisation and discrimination or because of economic problems.
A number of family members of COVID-19 positive people who have been accommodated in COVID Care Centres are refusing to go for COVID test and there may be some psychological reasons for their refusal to go for testing, Dr Lenin said.
People need to view COVID-19 in the same line as other diseases. People should not stigmatise or discriminate COVID-19 positive persons and one should get tested for the virus as a personal and social responsibility, he added.