Surveillance to be increased in DK to check fatalities: DC

Surveillance to be increased in DK to check fatalities: DC

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Aug 01, 2020:     Deputy Commissioner Dr Rajendra K V said that the district administration is planning to include teachers from schools and colleges to carry out surveillance programmes aggressively in the district, to identify the people suffering from comorbid conditions and thereby reduce the Covid-19 fatalities.

 

The survey has already been initiated in the district. It will be taken up in each Gram Panchayat. The survey will collect information on all children below 10 years, pregnant women and elderly persons suffering from various illnesses in the district, he told reporters on Friday.

“In addition to Asha and anganwadi workers, we have plans to rope in school teachers, PU lecturers and those below 40 years in villages, to monitor the health of vulnerable people,” he added.

He said that vulnerable people will be continuously monitored. If the elderly and vulnerable people show any symptoms of Covid-19, arrangements will be made to shift them to hospitals for treatment, to ensure that fatalities are checked.

Further, the surveillance activities will be intensified to trace the source of infection of Covid-19.

“Task forces have already been constituted at the Gram Panchayat level and at the ward levels in the district. Doctors above 50 years, who are not frontline Covid warriors in the villages, will be training task force members to monitor the health of people, identifying those who are severely ill and shifting them to hospitals," he explained.

Antigen kits

The government has given a target to conduct the test of swab samples of 3,700 people per day in the district. Already, the district has received 27,000 rapid antigen kits, of which, more than 6,000 has been used for conducting the tests. To reach the target, it has been decided to take the help of private hospitals.

At present, the district has 4,608 beds in 61 hospitals. Already, 662 beds are filled. Of the 3,946 available beds, 3,760 are normal beds. There are 115 ventilators in the district. The government has already sent 40 ventilators.

Several corporate companies have been donating ventilators under CSR activities. Measures will be taken to supply oxygen to the beds through piped network or cylinders.

Further, he said awareness will be created on wearing masks in public places and maintaining social distancing.

Transparency

Hospitals should not send patients back citing lack of beds. To bring in transparency in the availability of beds in hospitals, measures will be taken to inform the public through a mobile application.

Stringent action will be initiated against hospitals for overcharging patients for treatment.

Courtesy:Deccan Herald