BENGALURU: A central team of doctors, deputed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, concluded its visit to Karnataka on Thursday, during which it assessed the state’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic. They visited health facilities in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mandya, Chikkaballapura, Hassan and Dakshina Kannada, and held meetings with health and family welfare officials, including Additional Chief Secretary Jawaid Akthar, Commissioner Pankaj Kumar Pandey and MD of National Health Mission, Karnataka, Ramachandran Rao.
“In Bengaluru, the team visited health facilities, including fever clinics, institutions and designated Covid-19 hospitals, including Victoria Hospital, NIMHANS, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases and the National Institute of Virology, Bengaluru. They were updated on health systems and surveillance measures, such as Critical Care Support Team, tele-ICU unit, BBMP War Room and State War Room,” Pandey said.
“While touring other districts, the team visited fever clinics, quarantine and isolation wards of district and taluk hospitals, besides microbiology labs. The team declared that Victoria Hospital and Surathkal quarantine facilities were models to be followed. They also made suggestions on medium and long-term measures like strengthening human resources at health institutions, training and mass counselling.”
The team comprised Dr Avdhesh Kumar, additional director, National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme, Dr RK Gupta, consultant physician, Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Dr Nishant Kumar, professor, anaesthesia, Lady Hardinge Medical College, and Dr Anuradha Shulania, associate professor, microbiology, Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital.
The team was in Karnataka from April 17 to April 30. “They were also apprised of the measures in place to strengthen universal surveillance using available database on TB, HIV patients and other vulnerable patients,” said Akthar. The team deemed the Mysuru screening facility as “excellent” and declared that the ‘Critical Care Support Team Initiative’ should be emulated by other states.
Guidelines on containing virus
Karnataka’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has come out with a nine-point surveillance plan to contain the Covid-19 outbreak in the state, having identified districts as hotspots with
large outbreak, clusters and non-hotspots
Conduct surveillance of public places, ensure social distancing, avoid crowding of people Surveillance of containment zones, ensure strict perimeter control
Dept to hold surveillance of high-risk households; earlier, health workers would conduct surveillance of vulnerable households
Private healthcare providers urged to report Influenza-like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory
Infections (SARI) cases
Pharmacies advised to report dispensing of specified drugs Drug inspectors told to ensure that pharmacies adhere to regulations
Tracing of contacts of patients crucial; guidelines issued on hand-stamping and providing information to person’s neighbours
Promotion of Apthamithra helpline — 14410 — set up to cater to needs of those who require healthcare
related to Covid-19
Awareness on Arogya Setu app, established to identify early cases or potential contacts of infected patients