Community surveillance to be strengthened

More focus on home care and increased testing

January 20, 2022 07:18 pm | Updated 07:18 pm IST - Thiruvananthapuram

The Health department will strengthen community surveillance as well as in hospitals and amongst travellers in the background of increasing COVID-19 transmission .

It has also been decided to strengthen testing so that surveillance can be enhanced.

The decisions were taken at a meeting of the State Rapid Response Team held here on Wednesday.

Human resource

Health Minister Veena George, who chaired the meeting, directed that adequate human resource be roped in so that COVID test results were delivered in a time-bound manner .

She also directed that adequate measures be taken to ensure that home care of COVID patients were done in a more systematic and efficient manner

The meeting also reviewed the current COVID situation in the State, taking the feedback from the 12 committees set up as part of the RRT, including Infrastructure and human resource management, material management, transportation and oxygen, vaccination management, post-Covid management among other things.

The committee has been asked to strengthen the surveillance of the functioning of hospitals in the State. The committee will hand over the line list of those who test COVID-positive to the local bodies.

Private hospitals’ representatives are also part of this committee, which will monitor hospital admissions, discharge and all related activities..

The meeting discussed the infrastructural preparations in hospitals. As per the multi-point action plan for COVID preparedness, as the number of patients in hospitals go up, more field hospitals will be readied by districts. The services of the AYUSH department will be sought if required.

No shortage

There is no shortage of personal protective equipment or drugs. Even though the State has adequate oxygen stock as of now, its utilisation in the State will be monitored closely. More ambulances will be pressed into service. Post-COVID care and management will be strengthened. Post-COVID care facilities are available right from primary health centres upwards.

The meeting directed that special precautions be taken in hospitals so that there is no spread in hospitals and that health-care workers do not fall sick en masse.

It was decided to speed up the administration of the precaution dose to health-care workers. Infection control activities in hospitals will be intensified. All hospital employees and health workers who have fever or any respiratory symptoms should test themselves for COVID immediately.

e-Sanjeevani

The meeting decided to strengthen e-Sanjeevani by recruiting more doctors. This was necessary as the number of patients was increasing rapidly. It was pointed out that the COVID OP on e-Sanjeevani had at least 1,200 patients seeking advice daily. The mental health teams will be engaged to provide psycho-social support to the patients.

The Minister directed that the RRT monitor the situation on a daily basis.

Rajan Khobragade, Principal Secretary (Health), and all senior Health officials participated in the meeting.

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