MAHARASHTRA Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday stressed on the role of private doctors, specially family physicians, in the fight against COVID-19, saying they can help in early diagnosis of the infection in their patients and facilitate timely treatment for them. Addressing around 700 private doctors from across the State during a meeting held via video conference, Uddhav Thackeray appealed to them to join hands with the State administration to curb spread of the viral infection.

 

Thackeray said if family physicians keep a check on the treatment of their patients in home isolation and update ward officers regularly, the civic body concerned can make arrangements for their further treatment in a proper way. “Family doctors play an important role. If they guide the patients at the initial stage of the infection, it will be helpful to curb the virus spread. They can identify symptoms and check whether a patient is asymptomatic or needs hospitalisation,” he said. The CM Thackeray said family doctors should focus on patients in home isolation so that if required, they can be shifted to hospitals timely.

 

He appealed to private doctors to register themselves with the COVID-19 care centres and jumbo field hospitals in their localities and visit the facilities for consultation. It is necessary to have uniformity in the treatment protocol, he added. Thackeray also said the State’s oxygen production capacity is 1,270 metric tonne, but due to the surge in COVID-19 cases, the demand has risen to 1,700 MT.