HYDERABAD: With the ensuing bypoll in Huzurabad assembly constituency in Karimnagar district, health officials are focussing on the district to keep Covid-19 cases under check. On a priority basis, Covid-19 vaccination will be taken up on a greater scale in Huzurabad.
A team of senior health officials from Hyderabad went to Karimnagar on August 5 and held a meeting with the health staff in Karimnagar on containing the spread of the virus. The team comprised director of public health G Srinivas Rao, director of medical education K Ramesh Reddy and officer on special duty (OSD) in CMO DT Gangadhar.
Gangadhar said that chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao had specially sent the team comprising senior health officials to Karimnagar in view of the rising Covid-19 cases in the district. He said that Covid-19 testing will be increased.
When contacted, district medical and health officer (DMHO) Juwaria told TOI that apart from the testing, vaccination will also be increased. “This is being done at the village level. In the coming days, depending on the quantity of vaccine supply and availability, it is intended to vaccinate more people,” she said. So far, in Huzurabad, 50% of the people have got their first dose of vaccine. The number of Covid-19 cases for August 5 show that Karimnagar is in the second place in the most number of cases that have been detected after GHMC areas. Of the 582 cases detected, 83 were in Hyderabad and 61 each in Karimnagar and Warangal Urban.
According to the DMHO, vaccine is being administered at 27 centres in Karimnagar district. As many as 11,233 people were given the vaccine on Thursday and 7,487 Covid-19 tests were conducted. “Our focus on containing the spread of Covid-19 and increasing the vaccination is not linked to any election,” Juwaria said. She pointed out that it is advisable for people not to congregate and to take steps to curb Covid-19 spread.
Senior health officials from Hyderabad who visited Karimnagar advised district officials that at least 9,000 Covid-19 tests be conducted everyday in the district. Tests will be done at public places and where there is a gathering of people by mobile teams. To detect seasonal diseases, camps will be held at the village level to provide treatment to patients. Director of public health, G Srinivas Rao, directed officials to do primary contact tracing of 20 to 25 people if at all Covid-19 cases are detected and to quarantine those who test positive. Officials will focus on villages where more cases are being reported.
