VISAKHAPATNAM: The district administration has now laid emphasis on containing the spread of Covid-19 and bringing down the mortality rate. Speaking to TNIE on Sunday, Collector V Vinay Chand said the entire corona operations in the district are being decentralised in view of spike in cases. To achieve the objective, they will implement the ‘Triple T’ approach -- Tracing, Testing and Treatment. Village and ward secretariats will be the nodal units to implement Covid-19 operations. Referring to the first ‘T’ of the approach, he said there are 739 village secretariats and 601 ward secretariats in the district. VRO and police women in the secretariat will trace the contacts.
Ward planning secretary and surveyor will demarcate the 200 metre containment zone. Following this, enhanced surveillance will be taken up in the ward to identify 60 plus age group people and 40 plus people with comorbidities. Most of corona deaths are from these high risk groups in the district till now. Ward health secretary with the support of Asha workers and volunteers will conduct door-to-door surveillance. There will be Primary Health Surveillance Team (PHST) as part of the three-tier system. The PHST will undertake the exercise of contact tracing and identifying the high risk people. This activity till now used to be done at the district level. Henceforth, it will be decentralised to the ward level, he said. The Collector said the second ‘T’ is testing. After identifying all the high risk people as part of enhanced surveillance, testing of all will be ensured. Till now tests are being conducted at the Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratory at King George Hospital.
As part of decentralisation, the tests will be done at ward level hereafter for which rapid antigen kits will be utilised. This task is entrusted to the Secondary Health Surveillance Team (SHST). The identified people will be taken to the nearest health centre in the wards and tested. “The idea is sooner you trace and test them for coronavirus, lower will be the mortality rate,” he said. Three vehicles will be given to each ward to transport positive cases and shift contacts to quarantine centres. One vehicle will be allotted for three wards in municipalities. The three level decentralised system will be implemented within a week or so, he said. The Collector said he held a meeting with nodal officers and superintendents of all private and government hospitals. Mapping of all Covid hospitals has been done. There are now six Covid hospitals in the district, including GITAM, Pradhama, NRI, Gayatri and VIMS, and other hospitals are being identified. The hospitals have been given clear cut instructions to reduce the mortality rate, he said.
Tertiary Health Surveillance Team (THST) will be headed by the municipal commissioner at the city level and Narsipatnam and Yelamanchili municipalities. This will be the supervisory body monitoring the entire Covid activity. A control room will be set up at GVMC to monitor all operations in the district. The ‘Triple T’ approach will be implemented with the three tier structure - PHST at village secretariat level, SHST at ward level and THST at city or municipality level. SHST will be headed by MPDO and he will be supported by PHC medical officer. The duty of SHST is testing people. Tertiary team will be headed by the RDO. Anakapalle, Narsipatnam and Vizag will be under the direct supervision of the Joint Collector of Development, the Collector said.
Quarantine centres to be decentralised
Quarantine centres will also be decentralised in the district with at least one centre in each Assembly segment. The quarantine centres will be headed by tahsildars. SHOs of the respective police stations will ensure security at all quarantine centres. In Covid care centres, mild and asymptomatic patients are lodged. Every constituency will have one Covid care centre and it will be headed by the RDO. The main focus is on hygiene and ensuring availability of water and good food. The menu has been standardised and it will be followed across the district. All quarantine centres will have a medical officer, he said.