THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As part of Covid-19 containment strategy and to ramp up Covid-19 testing, the district health authorities are gearing up to set up ‘step kiosks’ at important points in the state capital. The plan is to set up step kiosks – a walk-in sample collection kiosk – at 25 select areas in the district in two phases under private public partnership. The first-ever kiosk has started operations at Thampanoor, one of the busiest transit points in the city which houses the bus terminal and railway station. The second kiosk is being set up on the General Hospital (GH) premises which would also be used as a repeat antigen testing centre.
The kiosks would act as a one-stop centre to alleviate people’s apprehensions and sensitise the public. Both the kiosks are being set up using the fund from National Health Mission (NHM). As part of the testing strategy, the authorities are also planning to introduce mobile step kiosks. District Medical Officer K S Shinu told TNIE that the main aim of the initiative is to increase the number of tests.
“People are hesitant to come forward for testing and we want to change this attitude. By setting up more testing infrastructure across the district, we aim to create awareness and a friendly approach and also promote voluntary testing which is crucial for our containment strategy,” Shinu said. The officer in charge of the step kiosk at Thampanoor bus terminal said they will screen people coming from containment zones.
“KSRTC authorities will announce the message urging people coming from containment zones to reach the step kiosk and get screened for temperature and other Covid-19 symptoms. We will carry out basic screening and rapid antigen test and enter the data into the state Covid control register. People who test positive will be referred to higher medical institutions,” said the official.
The kiosk, which would operate from 10am to 5pm, will have a medical officer or a staff nurse, lab assistant and a data entry operator. An NHM official said around `1 lakh is being spent on each kiosk.
“We are looking to join hands with private entities to ramp up testing infrastructure in the district.
We will identify the spots and private parties can set up the facility. We are not planning to recruit more staff to run the kiosks. Right now, Covid cases are on the decline in the district. In the first phase, we will set up 16 kiosks and in the second, we will start nine kiosks,” said the official. The kiosk will also have a donning area and will be sterilised after every use. A GH official said token system will be introduced at the step kiosk coming up on the hospital premises.
Recoveries outnumber new cases in T’Puram
T’Puram: The Covid-19 spread in the district has registered a dip again on Friday. A total of 617 people tested positive for Covid in the district on the day, while 829 recovered. The recovery rate is higher in the district for the past two weeks. However, the number of deaths reported from here is still the highest in the state. Seven persons succumbed to the infection on Friday. The deceased are Devaki Amma, 84, of Perunthanni; Chandrika, 65, of Malayinkeezhu; Devakaran, 76, of Neyyattinkara; Omana, 55, of Venniyoor; Murugan, 60, of Kattakada; Bruce,79, of Amaravila; and Dennis, 50, of Kanyakumari.