THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala has come out with 14 recommendations on how to combat the second wave of the pandemic before it spins out of control. He has written to Chief Secretary V P Joy with the suggestions that he finalised after holding talks with experts in the health department. Chennithala will call on Governor Arif Mohammed Khan at Raj Bhavan at 11.30am on Monday to discuss the alarming rate at which the second wave has hit Kerala.
Treatment
Admission protocol: Patients should be admitted only under referral method so that seriously-ill patients can get admitted in govt hospitals. What is seen at present is that the affluent and those with minor symptoms who can influence authorities are getting admitted to hospitals, leaving needy patients to sleep on the floor.
ICUs & ventilators: Govt should ensure a common pool is maintained so that if there is any shortage of lifesaving equipment, Covid patients can avail it through proper admission protocol under the aegis of dist medical board.
Shortage of health workers should be addressed. Doctors in private and public sectors should be trained, within three days with IMA’s help, on providing Covid treatment. Contract postings should be made, if required.
Adequate beds should be ensured. Beds should be made available at all private clinics, dental clinics and OP departments.
Availability of life-saving drugs and oxygen cylinders should be ensured. Life-saving medicines like Remdesivir and Tocilizumab and steroids should be used only for those who require it and should not go unused.
Treatment cost in private hospitals should be controlled. None should be denied treatment citing financial difficulties. BPL families should be given free treatment in private hospitals.
Defence
Vaccines should be made available in the open market akin to the practice in other states. Continuation of administering vaccines should be completed on a war footing.
There is no need of lockdown in the state which would affect the lives of people. Instead, micro containment strategy should be adopted.
Social distancing, masks and sanitizers should be made mandatory.
The number of tests should be increased so that the spread of coronavirus can be contained. The contact list should be prepared and stringent measures of quarantine steps should be maintained
Crisis management
Local body institutions should be strengthened. Adequate funds should be ensured to them.
Awareness on combating Covid and its treatment should reach the people and fake campaigns should be discouraged.
Coordination
Health, home, local bodies and revenue departments should be rendering co-ordinated efforts to combat the pandemic.
Research
Research is required to probe into the spread of the virus and the change in genetics. Study should be undertaken on the number of death rates on a day.