The Union Health Ministry on Monday asked officials of 45 high-Covid-19-caseload civic bodies across 38 districts in 10 States to focus on house-to-house surveys, carry out prompt testing and undertake active surveillance measures to contain the infection and reduce mortality.
The 38 districts are from Maharashtra, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh.
“In view of easing of lockdown and lifting of curbs, States were advised to make a district-wise prospective plan for the coming months,” said Union Health Secretary Preeti Sudan in a high-level review meeting, via video conference, with district collectors, municipal commissioners, superintendent of district hospitals and principals of medical colleges from 45 municipal corporations.
To reduce the case fatality rate, the officials were briefed on measures that include prioritising high-risk and vulnerable segments like elderly people and people with comorbidities like diabetes while contact-tracing to prevent deaths.
During the meeting, issues discussed include widespread infection in densely populated urban areas, with areas that shared public amenities, importance of house-to-house surveys, prompt testing, clinical management of cases and containment strategy which needs to be implemented, it said.
“The State officials were advised on the measures to be taken in the containment zones for case management and buffer zones surveillance activities and promotion of Covid appropriate behaviour,” the Ministry said.
They were also asked to focus on active surveillance measures, adequate testing and promoting health seeking behaviour for timely detection of cases.
In terms of infrastructure and human resource management for containment of Covid-19, the Health Ministry said proper planning for health infrastructure should be taken up, adequate number of surveillance teams should be provided and a system should be put in place for bed availability management.
The Ministry also highlighted that along with Covid-19 management efforts, care needs to be given to regular and essential health services that are also available for the citizens.
Officials were asked to focus on areas like active house-to-house survey for timely detection, augmentation of the survey teams, efficient ambulance management, efficient triaging of patients at the hospitals and bed management, clinical management of the hospitalised cases through rotational 24x7 teams to ensure reduction in the fatality rates, the Ministry said in the statement.