Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has asked the public to maintain utmost vigil as the Omicron virus variant is spreading across the State as a furious pace.
He has called for more tele-medicine services as more of the Covid-19-affected are being cared for in homes.
He said that health-care workers have been trained adequately to follow up those on home care. But the local bodies can do much more to ensure home-care patients are well taken care of. Ward-level committees should provide all facilities for patients on ward-basis.
Only those patients with severe disease may be moved to medical college hospitals (MCHs) and this should be strictly on a referral basis. Senior doctors at the MCHs should be able to tend to these patients.
The cooperation of private hospitals should be ensured.
Mr. Vijayan has directed the Health department to re-appoint those who were earlier part of the COVID brigade, as per need. He also said that special arrangements be made for the care of non-COVID patients.
The review meeting held on Thursday also decided that the seven days’ special casual leave that used to be given for the primary contacts of COVID-positive patients need not be given any more.
A war room will function at the Secretariat from now on for managing the pandemic.
