Fever clinics and intensive door-to-door campaign, on the lines of those conducted in Chennai, would be replicated in the southern and northern districts,where COVID-19 cases were high, said J. Radhakrishnan, Health Secretary.
“We have observed that the number of COVID-19 cases in the State particularly in Chennai is decreasing due to aggressive testing and concerted and coordinated efforts of the State government. It does not mean that we can relax. We have to be extremely careful in dealing with the pandemic and there should be no room for complacency,” Dr. Radhakrishnan told reporters here after inspecting the infrastructure to treat COVID-19 patients at the K.A.P.Viswanatham Medical College, here along with Collector S. Sivarasu on Tuesday.
He said that the active cases in the State was around 50,000. Fresh cases had been gradually coming down in Chennai, although it was still early to come to a conclusion. But, cases had been climbing up in Kancheepuram, Thiruvallur, Chengalpattu and some of the southern districts including Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli, Kanyakumari, Virudhunagar and Theni. Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami had asked the Chennai model (of conducting fever camps) to be expanded in the badly affected districts to check the spread of the virus. Fever clinics, aggressive testing, contact tracing of primary and secondary contacts were the keys to control the virus. About 28 lakh swab tests had been carried out so far in the State.
“Closed premises and offices continue to pose challenge in the spread of virus. Testing alone is not the solution. Hence, the State government has come out with standard operating procedure for offices. They have to be followed vigorously,” Dr. Radhakrishnan said.
The government, he said, had fully adhered to the norms of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on testing as well as arriving at the figures of death. Patients, who died of other causes, were also subjected for COVID-19 test. If positive, they were also added to the COVID-19 casualty list. The State had to collect details of fresh and discharged patients as well as casualties from a large number of private hospitals besides the government hospitals. The State was following total transparency in dissemination of information on patients and casualties. “The death rate (due to COVID-19) is still very low. There is no need for panic although we need to be careful,” the Health Secretary said.
Mr.Radhakrishnan also asserted that there was no dearth of beds for treating COVID-19 patients in Tiruchi. The Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital had 780 beds and private hospitals had 1,327 beds. In addition to them, there were 922 beds at intermediate government and private hospitals in the district.
Three COVID care centres were functioning at the Khajamalai campus of Bharathidasan University, Tamil Nadu Agricultural College campus and Yatri Nivas in Srirangam. About 800 asymptomatic and mild symptomatic patients could be treated at the COVID care centres.
Dr. Radhakrishnan said that 72,589 persons have been tested for COVID-19 in Tiruchi so far. Besides the laboratory at the Tiruchi GH, six private laboratories have been given permission for testing in the city. Out of 4,517 patients, who had tested positive for the virus, 3,239 patients had fully recovered and discharged from the hospitals so far. There were 1,218 active cases in Tiruchi, he added.
