Health dept comes up with revised strategy
Rituraj Borthakur
GUWAHATI, March 27: Waking up to the fresh coronavirus threat, Assam’s health department has come up with a “revised” strategy to prevent a “re-emergence” of the virus and has asked all districts to heighten its preparedness.
The guidelines and SOP (standard operating procedures) issued as part of the revised strategy for testing and treatment comes in the wake of an uptick in the COVID-19 graph in the State in the last few days and a spike in several states in the country.
Detailing the guidelines and SOP in an order to all health officials, Principal Secretary (Health) Samir Sinha said a district-wise micro-plan for Covid treatment will have to be made by each Joint Director of Health and submitted to the NHM.
“The district civil hospitals, sub-divisional hospitals and CHCs, FRUs and model hospitals in which institutional deliveries are not performed or separate buildings are available within the same campus, shall be designated as COVID-19 treatment hospitals,” the order said.
The Joint Director of Health Services and in-charge medical officers shall take all necessary steps for creation of isolation wards, doctors room, donning and doffing areas and other facilities in the designated hospitals and other peripheral hospitals.
As per the order no temporary structures shall be constructed either for treating or housing patients. Medical infrastructure in the form of portable X-ray, ventilator, monitor, oxygen and provisioning of human resource has to be arranged at the designated hospitals.
All the temporary structures created for COVID-19 treatment when the pandemic was at its peak last year have ceased to exist.
The order further directed the district officials to ensure availability of all Covid specific medicines.
A state-level workshop for imparting “re-training” to doctors, officials and support staff is also being held, and the medical colleges have been asked to hold similar workshops and training sessions in their respective districts.
The health department has set timelines for execution of the assigned activities like submission of micro-plans by districts, infrastructure arrangements at entry and screening points, infrastructure arrangements at hospitals, workshops in districts, compliance of HR arrangements and indent for consumable like masks, gloves, sanitizers, etc.
These activities have to be completed by March 30, the order said.
Screening of all incoming passengers in all the entry points, including airports, railway stations and international land and river ports, will continue along with random checks at bus stations. Testing facilities are being made available up to the PHC level.
The NHM has been asked to replenish the necessary equipment required for testing to the districts. A minimum of two ambulances have to be kept aside for Covid duty in every district.
The order also laid down protocol for testing, home isolation and treatment and patients.
Till a week back, the number of COVID-19 positive cases detected in the State was in the range 15-20, at a positivity rate of less than 0.20 per cent.
However, in the last three-four days, over 40 cases are being detected daily and the positivity rate has gone up to over 0.25 per cent. Active cases too slowly climbed to 400.
While the cumulative cases stands at 2,18,176, Covid deaths in the State have been pegged at 1,104.