Step to help in reducing mortality rate
*Facility delayed because of administrative inertia
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Sept 12: Waking up from the slumber, the Health and Medical Education Department has finally given go ahead to the Government Medical College Jammu to start biomarker tests of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) patients, which will go a long way in timely diagnosis of impending complications and in reducing the mortality rate.
Moreover, the facility will help in reducing financial burden on the patients, who otherwise are compelled to pay thousands of rupees for getting the biochemical markers conducted through the private laboratories.
It is pertinent to mention here that the researchers have identified five immune response biomarkers which can be used to classify which COVID-19 patient will survive the disease.
The biomarker is a natural substance in the body that serves as an indicator of a biological state, condition or disease and biomarker testing can reveal whether levels meet or exceed the limits for normal functions and in turn clinicians can use this information to make most appropriate decisions for the patients.
Though these important investigations were started in the Government Medical College Srinagar about two months back yet no such decision was taken in respect of Government Medical College Jammu despite the fact that thrust was laid on this aspect by the Department of Biochemistry through official communiqué addressed to all the concerned authorities.
Yesterday, the Department of Biochemistry of Government Medical College Jammu again dashed a communiqué to the Principal and Dean of the College and while drawing his attention towards the earlier communication requested him to give permission for start of these important tests for COVID-10 patients.
“These tests will help in early diagnosis of complicated patients and reducing mortality rate”, the Head of Biochemistry Department Dr A S Bhatia mentioned in the letter, adding “these parameters have already been started by the Department of Biochemistry, Government Medical College Srinagar and it is not advisable to deprive the people of Jammu from the benefits of these biochemical biomarkers”.
Within hours of latest communication, Financial Commissioner Health and Medical Education Atal Dulloo, who was also furnished the copy of the communication, reportedly talked to the Principal GMC Jammu and verbally conveyed nod for start of these important tests in GMC Jammu on the lines of GMC Srinagar.
With this development albeit after delay due to administrative inertia, the GMC Jammu will start biomarker testing for COVID-19 patients within next one week and this facility will help in reducing financial burden on the patients, who otherwise are compelled to pay thousands of rupees for getting the same conducted through the private laboratories.
“It seems that there were some elements in the Government Medical College Jammu who were not interested in start of this free of cost facility for the COVID-19 patients for obvious reasons otherwise the facility could have been started simultaneously in GMC Srinagar and GMC Jammu”, sources said, adding “there should not have been different yardstick for these two Medical Colleges especially in the fight against Novel Coronavirus”.
Despite repeated calls to ascertain the exact time-frame for start of these important tests there was no response from the Principal of Government Medical College Jammu. However, Head of the Department of Biochemistry Dr A S Bhatia, when contacted, confirmed that on the instructions of Financial Commissioner Health, the Principal and Dean has told him to go ahead vis-a-vis start of important tests for COVID-19 patients.
“These are the important investigations being done in all the premier institutions like AIIMS, PGI, CMC and DMC and we are competent to do the same in GMC Jammu”, he said, adding “exercise has been set into motion for procurement of necessary regents for conduct of these important investigations”.
He said that these investigations will help in diagnosing impending complications in COVID-19 patients and subsequently help in reducing the mortality rate.
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