Alarmed over the herculean rise in novel coronavirus cases across the State coupled with high rate of casualty, Punjab Government has decided to conduct Sero Survey in the containment zones or hot-spots of five worst affected districts.

The survey, involving testing of blood serum of a group of individuals and used to monitor trends in prevalence of novel coronavirus infection at the district level, will be conducted in the containment zones of Amritsar, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Patiala and SAS Nagar (Mohali).

“The State Government has planned the survey in five districts under which teams have been identified for the survey. Samples of 250 persons from surveyed populations will be collected in each of five districts,” said the state Health and Family Welfare Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu.

The Minister said that the Civil Surgeons have been instructed to set up District Level lab and to provide basic lab requirements and consumables for each district.

The facility-oriented surveillance is an expansion of the testing of flu and serious respiratory cases in hospitals being carried out by the government.

Sero survey is a more focused population-based testing of high and low-risk groups in select districts, which will be done in addition to routine testing.

“The move is not only expected to help the government in monitoring COVID-19 trends but also check for community transmission,” said a government official.

COVID-19 TEST REPORTS BEING SENT THROUGH SMS

To ease out communication of results of COVID-19 test, the state Health and Family Welfare Department has tied up with the Department of Governance Reforms which, once the labs update results on the ICMR portal, the results are communicated to the persons via SMS through the COVA platform. “The messages are being sent by the Department of Governance Reforms on behalf of the Health Department. The Governance Reforms team has integrated with ICMR portal and on update of results on the portal by the labs, messages are sent to the persons who got themselves tested,” said the state Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu. The said process of communication through messages has already been started and till now over 1.37 lakh people have received results through SMS, he said adding that this has been done to ensure timely communication of the results to the persons.

ALL PRIVATE ESTABLISHMENTS TO PROVIDE TREATMENT TO REFERRED COVID-19 PATIENTS

To ensure healthcare services to COVID-19 patients, Punjab Government on Thursday directed all private hospitals, nursing homes, or clinics for tertiary care (HDU and ICU) under the Epidemic Disease Act-1897 (COVID-19 Regulation 2020), referred by the Health Department. “In wake of rising cases of coronavirus across the State, the State Government has taken this pro-people decision. The health services would be extended on billing system for referred COVID-19 patients. The cost of treatment will be reimbursed as per CGHS Chandigarh rates. Any modification in it by the Government of India will be applied thereafter for the purpose of billing,” said the state Health and Family Welfare Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu.

Sidhu said that the cost of drug and consumables will be reimbursed as per the actual cost. “After the discharge of the patient, the hospital will send the authorized referral, final bill, discharge summary, consumables or medicines bills after verification by Civil Surgeon of the District to Punjab Health Systems Corporation,” he said. In case there are no prescribed rates for any test or procedure in CGHS, Chandigarh rates, then PGIMER Chandigarh or AIIMS New Delhi rates (whichever is less) will be applicable for that test or procedure.

Treatment would be provided to such patients on a cashless basis, he said adding that for PPE kits, Rs 2,000 per patient per day for the first two patients and then Rs 1,000 per patient per day for every additional patient to be paid. The Health Minister further said that these rates are applicable to the COVID-19 patients referred by the Department of Health and Family Welfare to private institutions for tertiary level (HDU and ICU) management of COVID-19.