HYDERABAD: Health Minister Eatala Rajender on Sunday directed the officials to ensure that Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) visit those who are under home isolation to check their oxygen levels and temperature twice a day, and take necessary measures to help them recover fast.
During a teleconference with officials in districts as well as Hyderabad on steps being taken to rein in Covid-19, the Minister said that since the present strain of virus is spreading very fast, those who test positive and do not have proper home isolation facilities should be shifted to the government isolation centres to prevent their family members from contracting the virus.
Stating that he was expecting more test kits from the Centre as he had already sought them in adequate numbers, he said the staff should test everyone who have Covid-19 symptoms regardless of which region they are from. He also asked the private testing centres to furnish the data relating to tests to the government on a regular basis.
The Minister said that if private hospitals run short of oxygen, the government would try to supply it to them. The officials should also supervise the kind of treatment being given to the patients in private hospitals. While expressing satisfaction that there was a marginal decrease in the rise of Covid-19 cases during the last one week, he hoped that it would soon take a downward trend. He also asked the Medical and Health Department officials to recruit as many staff as they require.
The minister sought to dispel the notion that Remdesivir was the drug of choice to treat Covid-19. “It is not necessary for all patients. It should be used sparingly in accordance with the guidelines laid down by ICMR. The people should not make a beeline for Remdesivir as in a number of cases, the drug may not be necessary,” he said.
Test everyone with symptoms: Min
Stating that he was expecting more test kits from the Centre as he had already sought them, Rajender said the staff should test everyone who have symptoms regardless of which region they are from