PUDUCHERRY: The number of COVID-19 tests per lakh of population in Puducherry is 10 times the national average and twice that of Chennai, said Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner A Anbarasu.
The testing has been ramped up to 3500 samples per day, with 3792 samples having already been tested in the last 24 hours, he said, addressing a press conference along with District Collector cum Health Secretary Dr T Arun and Health Director Dr S Mohan Kumar on Saturday.
By Wednesday, 24-hour testing will commence at Indira Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute (IGMCRI) which will perform around 700 tests per day. Rapid RNA extraction kits have now been procured from Delhi.
Another 10 to 15 laboratory technicians from the Veterinary College and Mother Theresa Institute of Health Sciences would be engaged for the tests. Besides, VCRC is doing upto 270 tests per day now which will be enhanced to 540 tests per day. JIPMER is doing 1000 tests per day.
At present, 20,000 RT-PCR kits are available and orders have been placed for procuring 50,000 more. Besides, three private medical colleges are each doing 100 tests per day. Another three or four medical colleges are waiting for ICMR approval to begin the tests. The testing has been increased in the outlying regions of Karaikal (450 tests), Yanam (310) and Mahe (100) also.
Active and passive surveillance has been introduced by the administration for early detection of COVID infection to control the number of deaths as well as new cases.
An analysis of COVID deaths has revealed that late detection has been the primary reason, said Anbarasu, citing that out of five deaths in the last 24 hours, four could have been saved if they came forward for tests immediately after the onset of symptoms.
JIPMER and ICMR teams have suggested ways and means to reduce the deaths as part of which ASHA and ANM workers, SHGs of DRDA and Nehru Yuva Kendra volunteers have been deployed to check house to house for people with symptoms of COVID.
Also passive surveillance of people visiting hospitals and dispensaries is being done. The fatality rate now is 1.1 percent, which is lower than the national average, but the government is trying to minimise it, he said.
Private doctors have been directed to give referral slips to patients with fever and other symptoms of COVID visiting their clinics and send them to PHCs, while pharmacies have also been instructed to collect the names and phone numbers of people who come to purchase medicines for fever and report to PHCs.
Door to door samples of up to 100 each are being collected by teams in 15 sub centres of PHCs in rural areas. Another six sub centres in urban areas will start collecting samples within one or two days. Besides, 25 mobile teams are visiting places and taking samples.
Last week, doctors and nurses were recruited to meet the requirement of manpower. Remdesivir, Dexamethasone and other other necessary medicines are available.
Stating that there is adequate infrastructure in place, Anbarasu said that at the first instance of symptoms, without hesitation people should take a COVID test by approaching the nearest PHC or calling the COVID helpline 104 to save their lives and those of their near and dear ones.
At present, there are 2156 beds which is being increased. However, vacant beds are available for patients who need hospitalization. As of now, out of 622 oxygen beds, 212 are vacant, while out of 92 ventilators, 24 are available for patients. More are being procured, said Anbarasu.