THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Health Minister KK Shailaja on Tuesday declared the state’s three-pronged strategy to bolster its prevention and control measures against the novel coronavirus (nCoV).
The strategy is to ensure the health of returnees from Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak; ensuring zero death and non-outbreak of nCoV.
“At present, the patient load at isolation facilities is manageable. But as a precaution, the department has sought the help of the Indian Medical Association to persuade private hospitals to set up isolation ward facilities if needed,” said Shailaja.
Quarantined students would be granted attendance for the period, the minister said.
In the case of those from Kozhikode who had violated the home quarantined norm and flown to a foreign country, she said a directive had been issued to trace them.
She added that if anyone had job-related issues due to the protocol, they could contact either the government or Norka-Roots.
National recognition
The state’s surveillance programme received national recognition when Union Health Secretary Preeti Sudan directed other states and UTs to follow the strategy adopted by Kerala in containing the novel coronavirus.