Tamil Nadu: Apollo Hospitals launch free tele-access to COVID-19 critical care experts

In a recent development in Tamil Nadu, Apollo Hospitals launched Free Tele-Access to COVID-19 critical care experts for general physicians and nursing homes to get advice from COVID-19 Critical Care experts on the treatment of COVID-19 patients. They have formulated an apparatus wherein free service from critical care doctor are made available to all doctors across Tamil Nadu. The initiative will guide physicians in offering evidence-based therapy to COVID-19 patients.

COVID-19 Critical Care experts made available for Free Tele-Access facility

On May 13, Apollo Hospitals launched a Free Tele-Access facility that General Physicians and Nursing Homes can use for guidance and to empower general physicians and smaller nursing homes with the knowledge to offer evidence-based therapy based on approved protocols in a timely manner. General physicians and smaller nursing homes will be able to access the correct advice on how to effectively care for critically ill patients through the telecommunication platform with Apollo Hospitals’ experienced COVID-19 Critical Care experts. The critical care group of consultants thought of this initiative so they could guide the nursing home doctors, wherein they approach the experts to seek help so they take care of their patients at their place itself well before a patient gets into an advanced stage of COVID-19.

Dr Prathap C Reddy, Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group said,

“The second wave of COVID infections has seen a huge spike in the number of COVID infections leading to a shortage of trained resources for proper management of COVID patients. This (Free Tele-Access facility) will prevent them (medical practitioners)  from adopting unproven therapies with potential harm and empower them to offer the correct evidence-based therapy at the right time even to patients at home and at smaller nursing homes. We believe that this will help in limiting disease progression and lead to efficient utility of medical beds, oxygen and medications.”

Tele-Access initiative has an expert opinion on advanced COVID-19 care

Via a press release, the Apollo Hospitals explained how the shortage of qualified health care providers has led to a situation where unproven therapies with potential harm are being prescribed even if not indicated. For example, despite the limited role of Remdesivir in selected hospitalized COVID-19 patients in need of a smaller amount of oxygen, its indiscriminate use led to an acute shortage in the medical and healthcare community. Early inappropriate use of steroids has been a contributory factor leading to increased incidence of secondary infections including the increasing cases of fungal infections such as Mucormycosis that are being reported of late.

Apollo Hospitals claimed to have received an overwhelming response even from a remote location in the State. Also, a special helpline number is being set up for this purpose. Doctors and nursing homes can then call from 8 am to 8 pm.