The Gujarat government's Health Department is building an army of trained health professionals to handle the war against the coronavirus.

As the pandemic spreads beyond cities to hit smaller towns and districts, there is a growing need for trained healthcare professionals including for nursing and ventilator care.

The authorities are taking up unusual ways to strengthen the manpower on a war-footing to meet the rising need.

For example, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), the largest civic body in the State, has conducted walk-in-interviews for medical officers and paramedical staff in the areas of auxiliary nursing & midwifery (ANM), general nursing and midwifery (GNM) and multipurpose health worker (MPHW). It has scrapped the requirements of examinations and formal applications. All that is required for interested and qualified candidates is to appear for the interview.

Shorter contracts

The Gujarat government, meanwhile, has started recruiting doctors on 11-month contracts at all government-run medical colleges and hospitals to overcome the skill shortage.

Moreover, 2,367 doctors, 1,300 AYUSH professionals, 260 physiotherapists, 266 dental surgeons and 5,000 nursing staff will be provided with training to attend to coronavirus patients.

Also, to leverage experience, the Health Department has given retirement extension till May 31, 2020, to all State health officers and employees who were to retire on March 30, or are set to on April 30.

It has also begun training doctors and paramedical staff in ventilator care across medical colleges.

“So far, about 738 health professionals have been provided training. From April 1, we are starting an additional 28 training centres, where about 1,400 health professionals will be provided ventilator care training,” said Jayanti Ravi, Principal Secretary - Health.

The State has arranged 1,061 ventilators at government-run, while about 1,700 are available with the private sector. It has ordered an additional 150 ventilators.

As on Monday, three patients were on ventilator the rest were reported to be stable. The State has reported 82 positive cases with six deaths so far, while five have recovered from the disease.

High mortality rate

However, Gujarat’s mortality rate from coronavirus remains the highest, at 7.3 per cent, against the national average of 3 per cent.

Gujarat has also set up 4,300 isolation beds at government facilities across 33 districts, while more than 1,000 isolation beds are available at private hospitals. Isolation wards are being erected at the hospitals for any spurt in the requirement.