BHUBANESWAR: WHILE more antigen test kits are being supplied to districts, the State Government on Monday asked Collectors to scale up collection of swab samples.
Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy gave the direction during a district review on management of the pandemic including surveillance and quantum of testing through video conferencing with collectors and Chief District Medical Officers (CDMOs).
Attending the meeting, Additional Chief Secretary Health Pradipta Mohapatra said the State has sufficient stock of testing kits and medicines. Around 1,16,000 antigen test kits have already been provided to the districts and each district will be supplied as per their demand.
The collectors and CDMOs were asked to enhance per day sample collection to at least 500. The hotspot districts were asked to scale up sample collection up to 1000 per day for early detection and treatment.
They were asked to utilise the antigen test kits and upload the test results on ICMR portal on a daily basis.
“Analyse the changing Covid situation in your district and redesign the strategy accordingly to manage the evolving crisis,” Tripathy said.
Reviewing surveillance, quantum of testing, availability of Covid care centers, Covid health facilities, medicines, test kits, he suggested for advance arrangements in these areas keeping in view the prospective scenario till end of August.
Doctors undergoing Covid treatment were advised to take up plasma therapy as per the standard protocol.
The collectors were asked to encourage and support plasma collection in every possible ways and all logistic support should be provided to the donors. Mohaptra asked them to use logistics of blood banks for the plasma banks in the districts.
It was decided to put in place an online portal to facilitate the donors for self registration. The portal will have the details about availability of the plasma in different banks with their blood groupings so that Covid hospitals could send their requisitions accordingly.