Greater Chennai Corporation has revised its COVID-19 management strategy, focusing on door-to-door screening, strengthening ambulance services, hiring doctors for telemedicine services, providing oxygen support and regulating private laboratories.
Corporation Commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi on Tuesday held a meeting with monitoring officials of the 15 zones of the city, in the presence of Municipal Administration and Water Supply Secretary Harmander Singh.
Mr. Bedi asked the officials adopt the revised strategy. Under this, basic screening for residents aged below 60 will be done at home. The Corporation will strengthen the facilities for screening of patients aged above 60.
More doctors
The State government has asked the Corporation to hire additional doctors for telemedicine services at all zones. At least 90 doctors will be hired through a walk-in interview. These doctors will offer telemedicine services for COVID-19 patients on home quarantine twice a day. These doctors will sit in the control rooms to be set up for all 15 zones, said Mr. Bedi.
The Corporation has readied 30,000 basic medical kits to be supplied for residents who visit testing centres of the Corporation and private laboratories, according to the existing protocol.
The civic body has planned to set up oxygen parlours at three locations in three regions. At least 300 persons will be able to use the facilities. It has started shifting patients to Chennai Trade Centre COVID-19 care centre with oxygen support. At present, 800 litres of oxygen has been made available at the centre. The facility will get more oxygen beds shortly. All COVID-19 care centres will get oxygen support, the officials said.
In talks with Uber
Taxi operators have been roped in for converting cars into ambulances to transport patients. The civic body was in talks with the taxi aggregator Uber, officials said.
Private lab tests for COVID-19 at 59 locations will be regulated to provide support for patients. The labs have been asked to communicate the results to the Corporation to provide support to the residents.
