THE BIHAR health department has decided to allow home isolation facility only to doctors and health professionals. The decision came after a Covid profile study in the state revealed that two per cent of those who tested positive were health professionals, six per cent were students and five per cent homemakers. Seventy per cent of the cases were detected among labourers. Of the 1,81,737 samples tested so far, 8,381 people have tested positive, and 6,480 have been discharged. Last week, seven doctors of the Patna Medical College and Hospital had tested positive. The health department has not specified any specific reason for allowing home isolation facility to doctors and health professionals. A June 23 order issued by Bihar Principal Health Secretary Umesh Kumawat to all district magistrates, principals of all medical colleges and hospitals, and civil surgeons of all district sadar hospitals, said: “.It has been decided that asymptomatic Covid positive doctors and health professionals, including frontline workers, should be given home isolation facility. This facility would be subject to availability of home isolation and quarantine of family contacts. These doctors and health professionals would have to submit daily self-monitoring report and be ready to get themselves checked at nearby primary health centres.” They would have to go for a Covid test after 14 days of home isolation, stated the circular, adding all such patients will have to sign a written undertaking stating compliance of home isolation conditions. As per the revised Government of India guidelines on April 7, 2020, eligibility of home isolation meant that “the person should be clinically assigned as a very mild case/ pre-symptomatic case by the treating medical officer”. They state “a communication link between the caregiver and hospital is a prerequisite for the entire duration of home isolation”. An official in the Bihar health department said: “The general government of India guidelines do not mention any preference to doctors and health professionals.”
