Alarmed over the projections of a possible third wave of COVID-19 and its possible impact on the children, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Thursday ordered specialized training of all doctors in the state Health Department by June end along with house-to-house surveillance to control the current spread in the rural areas.
The Chief Minister, while reviewing the state’s COVID-19 situation during a virtual meeting, directed the state expert group head Dr KK Talwar to look into all aspects of medical education, and to get training modules prepared for the Health Department.
He underlined the need to ensure that all Medical Officers in the State are trained to deal with COVID, especially in children.
Expressing concern over the spread of COVID in rural areas, the Chief Minister directed that teams of Health and other departments immediately start house-to-house surveillance in every village. The teams should be equipped to give basic medicines without delay, and RAT testing of symptomatic persons must be done at the earliest, he said.
He also directed that some Community Health Centres (CHCs) in each district be prepared as Level-II (L2) facilities, with oxygen concentrators and doctors with proper treatment protocols.
Health Minister Balbir Sidhu suggested establishment of Rapid Response Teams and involvement of RMP doctors in monitoring in the rural areas to check the spread of the cases.
Regarding various regular health staff recruitments, Medical Education Secretary DK Tiwari said that 86 Nurses, eight Lab Technicians, nine Radiographers, two Perfusionists, two Optometrists, and one Audiologist would be appointed within a week, and more vacancies had been advertised.
Outsourced staff had also been deployed in various hospitals, centres or labs, he said, adding that the Army was currently helping in running 84 beds in Patiala, and will also be managing the makeshift hospitals in Mohali and Bathinda.
INVOLVE VILLAGE-LEVEL ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES IN VACCINATION
Stressing the importance of involving Sarpanches in this exercise, the Chief Minister ordered their prioritization, along with that of Panches, as well as Block Samiti and Zila Parishad chairman and members, in vaccination. The Police Department must also provide support, especially through their village police officers, he added.
ASK PVT HOSPITALS TO REFUND PAYMENT FOR OVERCHARGING PATIENTS
Directing the concerned officials to take strict action against the private hospitals overcharging COVID patients, the Chief Minister said that they should also be made to refund the payments received. He asked the Deputy Commissioners to coordinate with the Health Department to track all such complaints. The private hospitals should be asked to display the official rate prominently, and the same should be widely publicized, he stressed.
SET UP POST COVID CARE WARDS, OXYGEN CONCENTRATORS’ BANK
Taking note of the fact that some hospitalized patients need oxygen support for a few days after discharge, the Chief Minister asked the Health Department to allow their five litre per minute concentrators to be used for this purpose on a temporary loan basis. The Chief Minister also asked the Department to set up a bank of Oxygen concentrators for this purpose, besides establishing Post COVID Care wards in civil hospitals. While the cases and positivity in the State had shown a decline over the past one week, there was no scope for laxity, the Chief Minister stressed, directing the police to strictly enforce all restrictions, taking the cooperation of urban and local body leaders also in this effort.
DGP Dinkar Gupta said that the thikri pehras were being held in 60 percent of the villages to control the entry and exit of people, while assuring the meeting of improved coverage in the next few days.
The state Medical Education Secretary DK Tiwari said that the positivity rate during May 2-8 week stood at 18.5 percent but had since declined. The state Health Secretary Hussan Lal also added that the cumulative positivity on May 19 stood at 6.2 percent, with Mohali and Malwa regions continuing to show high numbers.
RESULTS OF GENOME SAMPLING OF APRIL-MAY STILL PENDING
Dr KK Talwar, who heads the state’s COVID Expert Group, said that to ensure that the cases continue to decline, the current restrictions should be followed for the next two-three weeks. He disclosed that while the genome sequencing of the March samples had shown 96 percent UK variant, only one double mutant case was found in the April samples. Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan said that results of the samples sent for genome sampling in April and May were still pending.
COVID CARE WHATSAPP CHATBOT LAUNCHED FOR SELF-CARE DURING HOME ISOLATION
Punjab Government on Thursday launched a COVID Care WhatsApp chatbot for self-care during home isolation, information on bed availability, and vaccine centres etc. Patients in home isolation can put their vitals into the app, which would be available in three languages — English, Punjabi and Hindi, and these will be monitored by experts who will advise them on the course of treatment.
CM LAUDS POLICE EFFORTS IN FEEDING COVID AFFECTED FAMILIES
The Chief Minister lauded the Punjab Police’s recently-launched Bhojan Helpline, under which more than 3,000 food packets were delivered by the cops at the doorstep of the COVID affected families in just a week. He reiterated his commitment to ensuring that nobody in the State goes to sleep hungry in these testing times, and urged all affected citizens to dial 112 or 181 for free meals. DGP Dinkar Gupta said that COVID canteens were established by the Police Department in less than 24 hours, with more than 120 cooked or uncooked food packets delivered on the very first day of the launch of the scheme. The maximum calls had so far been received from Amritsar City, Ludhiana City, Patiala, Bathinda, he said.