THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In the fight against Covid-19, the state is set to launch a new initiative called Covid First-Line Treatment Centres (CFLTCs). It will act as the primary-level healthcare centre for treating all mild and moderate symptomatic persons under surveillance. The CFLTCs will also be utilised for treating positive cases as and when the need arises.
“A scenario has emerged in the state in which more primary contacts are turning positive and more patients are being admitted with symptoms. Thus, a new initiative called CFLTC will have to be launched. It will ensure that the Covid hospitals don’t get crowded and people with mild and moderate symptoms are not visiting such hospitals directly,” said an officer of the health department.While directing the respective district administrations to identify as many centres that could be converted as CFLTCs as possible, the health department also entrusts them with the task of identifying healthcare professionals for working at these centres.
The people with mild sore throat/cough/rhinitis/diarrhoea/fever and/or severe sore throat/cough or have lung/heart/liver/kidney/neurological disease/hypertension/cancer will be treated at the CFLTCs.
“The professionals thus identified should be trained in the treatment guidelines. The identified centre should have an observation area, treatment area and at least 10 to 25 beds for observation. The district administration should also ensure logistics and necessary drugs and consumables at the centres,” added the officer.
Covid Care Centre for asymptomatic cases
Another initiative that has been launched by the department for the management of Covid-19 is the Covid Care Centres (CCCs). The CCCs established in all districts are for accommodating people who have been advised home isolation but have no residence in Kerala, like tourists, people in transit and others.
These are also meant to accommodate those in home isolation but not following the home isolation guidelines and for Keralites returning from various states in India.“Only asymptomatic persons will get admitted to the CCCs. Those having fever, cough, sore throat and others will not be lodged at CCCs. These centres will be coded as blue,” said a health department officer.“It will be the duty of the local body concerned to ensure food, water, sanitation, internet connectivity and waste management,” the officer said.
Logistics
The health officer said as part of the colour-coding Covid case management, it has been decided to code CFLTCs as green. For a centre with 10 to 25 beds, there should be eight doctors (in rotation), 12 staff nurses, three pharmacists, 10 cleaning staff, six healthcare volunteers and three security personnel. The centres will have to operate OP services from 8am to 6pm in rotation. The department has also approved a 42-item drug list for CFLTCs, including hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin and amoxicillin.