KOLLAM: To rein in the spread of Covid and to stem a possible outbreak, more medical staff will be deployed in the district. This was announced by District Collector Afsana Perween. Twenty per cent of house surgeons from two private hospitals and the service of third-year students of private nursing schools will be utilised for the same. They will work under the directives of the Health Department. The collector also said the district medical officer has been assigned to coordinate the functioning of the team.
The district administration has roped in private hospitals to increase bed strength to treat Covid patients if there is a surge in cases that warrant secondary and tertiary care. The decisions were taken based on an online discussion with management representatives and nodal officers. A fixed number of intensive care units and other inpatient facilities at private hospitals will be made available initially, and more if needed.
Accurate recording of the daily number of patients, vacant beds, ICUs and ventilators should be documented on the Covid vigilance portal. In addition, a special team will be set up to monitor and communicate the spread of disease control methods and systems, said the collector.
As the info on the availability of oxygen is vital, such details will also be incorporated on the vigilance portal. Representatives of private hospital managements have expressed their willingness to work in tandem with the district administration.
The health department has warned those with fever and respiratory illnesses to be extra vigilant. People with fever should remain at home and not venture out. Antigen test should be done first and if the result is negative, an RT-PCR test must be conducted.
The number of patients in the intensive care units of hospitals and the ratio of the severity of the disease will be the criteria for determining the rate of Covid spread. The DMO suggested that only those in the high-risk group in the primary contact list of Covid patients should take a swab test.