BENGALURU: Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike officials are conducting a pilot study of Covid patients at select primary health centres, as the number of people with complications during Covid-19 and after they recover is growing.
The study, being done with experts, includes people associated with primary health centres (PHCs) located in Malleswaram, Siddaiah Road, Ulsoor, Srirampura, Hosahalli and Banshankari, BBMP special commissioner for health, Rajendra Cholan said on Wednesday.
He was speaking during a virtual interaction with resident welfare associations and citizens titled ‘Reboot Bengaluru: Agenda to learn what BBMP is doing to flatten the Covid-19 curve and discuss how Bengalureans can join hands with the BBMP to hasten the process’. It was organised by Namma Bengaluru Foundation.
The study is being undertaken to ensure the right treatment is given to people at home after they recover, Cholan said. The results will be implemented after they are ready and approved by the government, he said. The system of releasing test reports, especially ones where the result is negative, has been decentralised. All labs and test centres have now been streamlined and reports are made available in 8-32 hours. The BBMP has decided to set up two stationary test centres in each ward - at the PHC, and ward office - so that people know where to get themselves tested and obtain results.
The GPS locations of these centres are being uploaded on to the BBMP website. Mobile test units will now shift focus to people with comorbidities, slum areas and others in need. Cholan also said that while the number of cases is on the decline, the resources available on the ground are huge. So, the whole system is now being streamlined with a focus on identifying and testing people with comorbidities and people aged above 60 as the winter months are crucial, he said.
BBMP is also improving the process of issuing home isolation certificates and ensuring that such people get adequate care. Talks are also on with colleges to set up test centres instead of deploying mobile test vehicles. So far, 480 mobile teams have tested 33,000 students in colleges.