Sixteen districts in four States — Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Telangana — are a cause of concern, said the Union Health Ministry on Friday, after confirming that these areas were reporting coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) mortality higher than the national and States’ average.
“A meeting was held with officials of the areas to analyse the factors driving the high mortality in these districts and devise ways and means to reduce the mortality,” said the Ministry.
Areas including Ahmedabad and Surat in Gujarat; Belagavi, Bengaluru urban, Kalaburagi and Udupi in Karnataka; Chennai, Kancheepuram, Ranipet, Theni, Tiruvallur, Tiruchirappalli, Thoothukudi and Virudhunagar in Tamil Nadu; Hyderabad and Medchal Malkajgiri in Telangana have been shortlisted by the Ministry “because, apart from the higher case mortality, these districts account for 17% of India’s active cases, high daily new cases, low tests per million, and high confirmation percentage,” said a senior Health Ministry official.
Tamil Nadu records 2.5 lakh virus cases, Chennai crosses 1 lakh
The Ministry has directed the districts to ensure that the advisories, guidelines and clinical treatment protocols be adopted and effectively implemented to reduce the mortality among COVID-19 patients and other preventable deaths among all sections of people, particularly those with co-morbidities, pregnant women, the elderly and children.
“States have also been advised to ensure optimum capacity utilisation of testing labs, increase tests per million population and reduce confirmation percentage, in addition to ensuring timely availability of ambulances with target zero refusal,” noted a release by the Ministry.
It added that States are also instructed to analyse availability and need for projected beds and oxygen, and plan in a timely manner. “It was pointed out that it was critical to ensure good infection prevention and control practices to control infection in healthcare workers,” said the Ministry.