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Covid-19: Project offers support to overwhelmed Indian doctors

BBC Prof Parag SinghalBBC
Prof Parag Singhal is leading efforts to help exhausted doctors treating Covid patients in India

A project to relieve pressure on doctors in India as a devastating second Covid-19 wave sweeps the country is being spearheaded from Somerset.

Prof Parag Singhal, the secretary of the British Association Of Physicians of Indian Origin (BAPIO), is offering online advice to junior doctors.

BAPIO is helping them on "virtual ward rounds" and raising funds to buy equipment for Indian hospitals.

"It's very tough. The stories are horrific," said Prof Singhal.

Prof Singhal, a specialist at the Weston General Hospital in Weston-super-Mare, said efforts using telemedicine aimed to pass on what has been learned in the UK over the last year.

India hospitals
Across India, 386,452 new cases were reported on Friday - the biggest ever one-day increase on record for any country

"There is enough expertise in India. It is about creating virtual manpower to help the already stretched colleagues," he said.

"It's not just Covid. It's about the disease management. Lots of patients have got comorbidities - diabetes, hypertension - and with Covid everything goes haywire. It is all about advising with other respects. It's a general discussion."

He has been in regular contact with doctors in Nagpur, using the remote video sessions to offer advice and support.

"I have phone calls every day from my relatives, friends, that there's difficulty in finding beds, difficulty in finding oxygen. The stories are brutal and [doctors] are just exhausted.

"Even if we make a small difference that will go a long way. Every life is important," he added.

Dr Shailee Chandak in Nagpur
Prof Singhal has been in contact with colleagues in India, including Dr Shailee Chandak, who is working at a hospital in Nagpur

BAPIO has already signed up 250 colleagues to help in an "outpouring" of support, Prof Singhal said.

With many medical resources in India stretched, a radiologist from Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton is also helping by checking scans of Covid patients to try to help clear the backlog there.

"Obviously we can't be there physically because of all the various restrictions but because of technology we can give expert input and provide as much help as possible remotely," said Dr Guru Karnati.

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