With the city reporting over 4,000 COVID-19 cases, Health Department has decided to ramp up testing to 1 lakh a day, besides reactivating booth-level committees that were set up earlier.
Health Minister K. Sudhakar, who chaired a review meeting with officials from Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, Bengaluru (Urban) and Bengaluru (Rural) districts, said, “The earlier target for testing for the BBMP was 40,000 a day. But there is a need to increase this to 1 lakh, since the target for contact tracing for every positive case is also 20,” he said.
There are more than 8,500 booths across the city. Last year, during the first wave, efforts were made to have booth-level committees comprising health officials, local residents and members of self-help groups, non-governmental organisations etc.
“This was, however, not activated 100% earlier. Now, these committees will be responsible for conducting a door-to-door survey at the booth level, ascertain how many citizens have been vaccinated, how many have symptoms and ensure they get tested, how many have tested positive and ensure that they have been isolated, apart from checking their health parameters,” he said. He added that the existing fever clinics, local pharmacies, private clinics and hospitals had already been directed to report any ILI/ SARI cases.
On arrangements in place for the treatment of COVID-19 patients, he said the BBMP had arranged for 250 ambulances, at least one per ward. He also said that there were beds available in government and other hospitals and it was being further ramped up.
“The government has already issued an order mandating 50% of beds to be reserved for treatment of COVID-19. We will have further discussion in this regard with private hospitals,” he said.
Dr. Sudhakar claimed that there were nearly 1,000 beds available in government health institutions, while also stating that compared to last year, the number of oxygenated beds had increased by six times. He admitted that the city may need 4,000 beds (in government-run and private health institutions). This requirement may be revised based on the trajectory.
