BERHAMPUR: Amid the looming threat of a third COVID wave, the Ganjam administration has started doorstep health screening of children from Tuesday.
Ganjam is the first district in Odisha to have launched such a drive as apprehensions about children bearing maximum brunt of the third wave grips the State. Collector Vijay Amruta Kulange said the screening programme was started keeping in view the predictions of health experts.
Kulange has issued an SOP following a directive from the State government. As per the directive, ASHA and anganwadi workers will visit the doorsteps of each household in different panchayats. While screening, swabs of sick children will be collected.
If any kid is found COVID positive, he/she will be treated either at home or hospital depending on the decision of the rapid response team (RRT).
The Collector has directed to form task force committees at the block and municipal corporation levels. While development officers will head the task force panels at the block level, the commissioner will lead the committee at the municipal corporation level.
These committees will comprise child specialists, paediatricians, Ayush medical officer, child development project officers and others. Arrangements for isolation beds have been made at all community health centres, sub-divisional hospitals and the district headquarters hospital (DHH).
A decision has been taken to reserve 50 per cent beds in special newborn care units (SNCUs) and newborn stabilisation units (NBSUs) for the COVID-infected in Ganjam.Ganjam was overwhelmed by the first Covid wave, reporting the maximum number of positive cases in the State.
Learning from its experience, the district administration put in place various measures to counter the second wave, which later proved effective in managing the Covid situation.