Districts rope in quacks to tackle Covid-19 spread in rural areas
RANCHI: Amid spiraling cases of Covid-19 in rural Jharkhand, two districts--Khunti and Jamtara--in the state have roped in quacks and traditional medical professionals to fight against the disease in a bid to minimize its impact in villages, officials said.
These two districts observed an exponential increase in cases in rural areas after large scale inflow of migrant workers in wake of lockdown or restrictions imposed by many states in the country.
These districts, considered backward ones and are already suffering due to lack of medical facilities and health workforce, found quacks and traditional medical professionals could play a significant role in tackling Covid-19, as they are believed to be the first source of medical care for 70% of tribals and the rural poor.
Khunti district, which has identified around 250 quacks and traditional medical professionals, who are being trained about the basic knowledge of treating Covid-19 and asked to encourage the rural population to get vaccinated as soon as it is available.
The districts are aiming at capacity building and tagging trained quacks to health workers or officials to help in surveillance so that treatment of Covid-19 patients can be started early and deaths can be avoided in remote rural areas, where proper doctors are not readily available, officials said. “Quacks create the front line health care system in villages, as rural people first visit them instead of going to hospitals. Since they lack required medical equipment and medicines, they are not able to properly diagnose the disease. So, we are providing them training how to identify Covid-19. They are also being given kit of basic medicines prescribed for the disease,”Khunti deputy commissioner (DC) Shashi Ranjan said on Sunday.
The quacks will also be provided oximeters and blood pressure measurement device to help them differentiate between normal and serious patients.
“They have been provided contact numbers of ambulances, hospitals and all concerned authorities so that serious or mild patients could immediately be shifted to hospitals without delay,” the Khunti DC said.
The quacks have also been asked to encourage people to undergo Covid-19 test so that spread of the virus can be checked in rural areas.
A similar activity has also started in Jamtara district, where 500 informal and traditional medical professionals have been identified and are being trained to act as first responders for identifying suspect Covid-19 patients and also to preach about the importance
of vaccination.
Jamtara deputy commissioner (DC) Faiz Aq Ahmed Mumtaz said, “A workshop for traditional healers was organized on Sunday where they were trained on how to identify Covid patients and inform the administration at the earliest. They have been provided contact numbers of doctors, district administration control room and other officials concerned.”
“They will also be provided oximeters. But, we are not encouraging them for any highend drugs for treatment of Covid-19 patients. We are just telling them about vitamins, that they can prescribe to all common people,” he said.
Quacks and traditional medical professionals are also being asked to encourage people for vaccination, he said.
Quacks and traditional healers will also be provided oximeters. But, we are not encouraging them for prescribing any high-end drugs for treatment of Covid-19. FAIZ AQ AHMED MUMTAZ, Jamtara deputy commissioner